Legend of the Britannian Heroes
by StoopKid241
Summary: Two young officers, Reinhard von Musel and Yang Wen-li, will rise through the ranks in Britannia. They will struggle against jealous nobles and military officers, local terrorists, and foreign rivals. Who will become allies? And who will become enemies? [This is a story set in the Code Geass world, with many characters and events from LOGH adapted to fit into that world.]
1. Chapter 1

**Battle of Astarte Valley Part 1**

 **Character Bios**

 **Reinhard von Musel**

Reinhard's family is from Germany, but they immigrated to Britannia when he was young. He lived with his father and his sister, Annerose. A few years later, after meeting and befriendingKircheis, Annerose gains the attention of the emperor, who takes her as one of his consorts.

He becomes determined to join the military, to one day overthrow the government and ensure that no one will lose their family like he did.

At this point in time, Reinhard is a commander.

He is assigned to lead a 10,000 soldier army for a battle in **Astarte Valley** , which is north of **Area 10 (Indochina)**

 **Siegfried Kircheis**

Kircheis was a Britannian native, and met Reinhard soon after he emigrated from Germany. He came to idolize his friend, and grew to care deeply for his sister Annerose, who treated him as a brother, just like Reinhard.

After Annerose was forced to move to the Imperial Palace, he chose to follow Reinhard and apply at **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen** , which was located south of Pendragon.

Currently, he is an assistant-commander, serving directly under Reinhard.

 **Oskar von Reuenthal**

A military officer and a native of Britannia.

He attended **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen** , and was both Reinhard's and Kircheis' senior.

He was in the same graduating class of Mittermeyer and Yang Wen-li.

Because of his heterochromatic eyes (two different colored eyes), he was known as "Odd Eyes" Reuenthal.

After graduating, he served in many minor battles, where he earned a reputation of having a keen eye for both strategy and tactics, but also deep ambitions.

Those ambitions made it difficult for him to rise through the ranks, so he eventually had himself transferred under Reinhard's command once he achieved the rank of commander.

Before he was reassigned, Reuenthal was a sub-commander in the Reinhard army. He is currently on temporary paid leave.

 **Wolfgang Mittermeyer**

A military officer and a native of Britannia.

He attended **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen** , and was both Reinhard's and Kircheis' senior.

He was in the same graduating class of Reuenthal and Yang Wen-li.

After graduating, he served in many minor battles, where he earned a reputation for blindingly fast assaults and troop movements. Because of this, he was known as the "Gale Wolf".

He was also not able to rise through the ranks as fast as someone of his ability should have, and it might have been because of his close relationship with fellow officer Reuenthal.

Before he was reassigned, Mittermeyer was a sub-commander in the Reinhard army. He is currently on temporary paid leave.

 **General Terms and Locations**

 **Area 10:** Generally located around Indochina.

 **Area 16** : Generally located around the Korean Peninsula.

 **Pendragon** : Capital of the Holy Britannian Empire

 **Chapter 1**

 _In an unassuming location, around the border between the Chinese Federation and the Holy Britannian Empire, specifically near Area 10, a battle would soon begin. The Chinese Federation was planning on making a push into Britannian territory, in an attempt to shift the local balance of power in their favor._

 _Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, this would be the stage where one young Britannian officer will climb the ranks, and make history._

 **Area 10 (Indochina): City Library Private Room**

Before the battle began, Reinhard von Musel and Siegfried Kircheis outlined their general strategy and discussed how useful their new sub-commanders would be during the battle. They were sitting in the back of a quiet library, both casually sipping on glasses of wine.

Reinhard begins, saying "The nobles taken all of our limbs, haven't they Kircheis?" Kircheis smiles and says "Yes, sir Reinhard. They have provided us with other officers, but we will need to gauge their cooperativeness." Reinhard laughs and says "It doesn't matter. None of them have the guts to disregard our orders, at least not directly."

Kircheis placed one of the dossiers onto the table, and explains "The first officer is Jeremiah Gottwald. He seems to be a member of the purist movement back on the mainland." Reinhard scowls, saying "Fools… A person's blood does not determine their competence. If only more people in this blasted empire realized this." Kircheis nods, and continues, saying "It seems like this is a bit of a demotion for him, although it doesn't say exactly what his last assignment was. They might have sent him here to see him fail, just like with us."

Reinhard swirls his wine glass, and says "If he has ambition, and a bit of talent, he might lead a good front line force. And the others?" Kircheis says "The rest seem to be fairly unremarkable, although two others do stand out, for different reasons. The first is Adalbert von Fahrenheit, who is a young officer. The other is 'Succumbed to Theory' Staden." Reinhard pauses, and says "Fahrenheit could be an asset, but that old fool Staden will surely get in the way. Oh well."

After that exchange, the young officers felt satisfied with their preparation for the coming battle. Their strategy was already planned out, and they only needed to relay that plan to their subordinate officers at the battle briefing.

 **Area 10 (Indochina): Local Bar**

In a different part of the same town, young officer Jeremiah Gottwald was drinking away his sorrows as his trusted friend and right-hand, Villetta Nu, consoled him. Villetta says, "Lord Jeremiah, you cannot blame yourself! No one could have predicted that assault on the manor!" Jeremiah sighs and says "No, if I was more diligent, she would have never died… I failed in my sole duty…" Villetta replies, saying "You'll have a chance to make up for it, but you must protest this assignment! There's no chance for a Britannian victory, and you will surely be killed!"

Jeremiah finishes his drink, and looks into Villetta's eyes, and says "No… If my punishment for failing my lady is to perish at this battle, then so be it. If I can die as a loyal Britannian soldier, then maybe I can greet her in the next life without shame." Jeremiah gets up and shakes Villetta's hand, before saying "Thank you for everything Villetta. It was an honor fighting beside you."

As Jeremiah leaves the bar, Villetta holds back her tears, as she mumbles "Please, you can't die yet Jeremiah! Please…" Jeremiah walked into his temporary apartment, and further mentally prepared himself for the coming battle.

 **Pendragon: Braunschweig Mansion**

In this noble house, a few high profile Britannian figures were meeting. Otho von Braunschweig, a duke and the head of one of Britannia's most powerful noble families, Flegel, a baron and Braunschweig's nephew, and Gregor von Muckenberger, a general of the Britannian Army and the head of military affairs around Area 10, were meeting in private.

Duke Braunschweig ushered his servants to refill his guests' glasses, and said "I'm happy you could make it, General Muckenberger. I hope everything is to your liking?" General Muckenberger takes a drink of his wine, and says "Of course, and I'm glad we can discuss our mutual _issue_." Baron Flegel smiles and says "Yes, we all do have similar issues with that blonde brat. It would be for the best to have him eliminated earlier than later." General Muckenberger nods and says "I have no desire to have a 'Commander of the Skirts', under my command. Area 10 is a delicate territory, and inexperienced fools need to be weeded out."

Duke Braunschweig laughs and says "Right, right! I still can't believe the Emperor gave him such a high position at his age, with so little real accomplishments. No matter what he says, the Emperor is surely playing favorites because his sister is a favored concubine…" But General Muckenberger adds, saying "But, how were you able to influence the brat's officer staff so much? That is something beyond even my influence." Baron Flegel smirks and says "Even a man like Prince Schneizel understands the value of my uncle owing him a favor."

General Muckenberger nearly drops his glass, and says "You were able to influence the Prime Minister himself? I'm impressed." Duke Braunschweig laughs and says "Please! We merely met for a drink and dinner, and I just told him of my worries. He was more than willing to pull a few strings for me. He's a smart man, and he realizes that we high nobles can be just as useful as the royal family themselves."

Once they finished their drinks and conversation, General Muckenberger excused himself and said "I must thank you both for your hospitality and help with this issue. I will take my leave now, as I need to board a flight reach Area 10 before the battle begins." After General Muckenberger left, Duke Braunschweig and Baron Flegel talked among themselves.

 **Pendragon: Local Officer's Cafe**

In this high class, military café, two of Reinhard's loyal subordinates were discussing his latest deployment. They were Oskar von Reuenthal and Wolfgang Mittermeyer, and they were both removed from Reinhard's force without their consent.

As they shared a bottle of whiskey, Reuenthal says "Do you think he has what it takes to seize victory without us?" Mittermeyer drinks some of his glass, and says "Of course. He broke all of our past records at the academy, and his grasp at tactics and strategy is something to behold." Reuenthal nods and says "That is true. Even Yang vouched for his abilities, although now that we've served with him on the actual field of battle, we know as well."

Mittermeyer, as if he just remembered something, said "Ah, speaking of Yang, did you hear what he did in El Facil, in Area 16." Reuenthal nods and says "Yes, I heard he saved the whole town during a Chinese Federation assault. They're calling him 'The Hero of El Facil'". Reuenthal then laughs and adds, "I'm sure he hates the extra attention…"

Mittermeyer laughs and well, and says "Knowing him, I'm sure you're right. We should visit him soon, now that we have some time off. It's been a few years since we last spent time with him." Reuenthal nods and says "You're right. It would be good to see our classmate again. And besides, he's an excellent drinking partner."

Mittermeyer finishes his glass, and says "You've got that right." Then he adds, "And I guess we can only hope that Reinhard pulls through, and shocks those idiot nobles in the process." After that statement, Reuenthal refills their glasses, and they make a toast, as he says "Seeing those nobles panicked would be a good enough reward in of itself."

 _Soon, the gears of time slowly moved closer to the day of the Battle of Astarte Valley, and no one could predict how the outcome would affect the state of the world, or the various onlookers._

 **NOTES**

I hope you all enjoy this story. Legend of the Galactic Heroes might be my personal favorite series ever, and I really wanted to try and work the characters and events into the general story and world of Code Geass.

I'm looking forward to when more LOGH characters get introduced (Bittenfeld!), and interact with the Code Geass characters.

And the reference to Yang Wen-li and El Facil will be explored more fully after the Astarte Valley arc finishes.

And for an update on Taki and Mitsuha's Bizarre Adventure, I've been distracted with other things, but I'll get back to it eventually!


	2. Chapter 2

**Battle of Astarte Valley Part 2**

 _With the day of the Battle of Astarte Valley coming soon, Reinhard holds a meeting with his staff officers, with the intention of explaining his battle plan as well as gauge their competence and drive._

 **Area 10 Military Base: Conference Room**

Reinhard and Kircheis sit in the conference room, and chat before the other officers arrive. Reinhard says "Making us work with a makeshift group of officers…" Before Reinhard can continue, Kircheis says "But we shall be victorious, correct?" Reinhard smiles, and says "Or course. And these restraints shall simply make our victory all the more sweet."

Soon, the other officers filed into the room. They were Jeremiah Gottwald, Adalbert von Fahrenheit, and Staden. The fourth officer was Willibald Joachim von Merkatz, an old and highly experienced officer in the Britannian army. Once they were all inside and seated, Staden began, saying "Commander Reinhard, I suggest we organize a safe retreat!"

Reinhard simply shakes his head, and says "No. Why should we retreat, when we hold the advantage?" Staden glares at Reinhard, and says "Please, do explain to me how we hold the advantage! I'm afraid I'm not gifted enough to understand your thought process. With our numbers, it would be impossible to secure any victory." Reinhard smiles, and says "If we take a closer look at our numbers, it will all become clear…"

Then, Reinhard leaves his seat and moves to the battle information screen. He says "Our forces number 10,000, and they are all made up of one single body. The Chinese Federation has 18,000 soldiers, but they split them up into 3 separate armies, each containing about 6,000 men. They plan to envelop us, by using their 3 armies together." Staden slams his fist onto the table, and yells, "Of course we understand that! This is why we should retreat before we are encircled!"

But Reinhard disagrees, and says "That will not be necessary. Look at their distances… Each of their armies are positioned about 2 hours apart from each other, but we are only positioned 1 hour away from their East Army and 1.5 hours away from their North Army. If we charge at either of those armies, we will be the ones with the numerical advantage. And the rest of the battle will fall into place from there, as we attack the other armies before they can respond or reinforce each other."

Now that Reinhard finished his brief overview of his battle plan, he looked around the room to gauge the officers' reactions. Staden was flustered, although Reinhard didn't expect him to be very cooperative. Merkatz was silent, and Reinhard believed that he understood the plan well enough, even if he didn't seem to have much faith in it. Jeremiah looked like he was deep in thought, but Reinhard could tell that his eyes had a fire that seemed absent back when he first entered the room, which was a good sign. And Fahrenheit looked excited, and Reinhard could tell that he understood and had high faith in the plan. Reinhard thought that Captains Jeremiah and Fahrenheit might be good personal staff officers, in the future.

After a bit of silence, Reinhard says "I believe that I've explained the plan well enough. If any of you need further clarification, you may see me later on. You are all dismissed!" The officers all saluted, and filed out of the room. Once they were gone, Reinhard sat down, as Kircheis says "Some of them looked resistant to the plan…" Reinhard smiles up to Kircheis, and says "It matters not. The ones who dislike the plan won't actively oppose me. They're too weak willed for that." Kircheis smiles back, and says "Naturally."

 _A few hours later…_

 **Area 10 Military Base: Reinhard's Office**

Reinhard and Kircheis were discussing the battle plan, as well as musing about various topics, as Reinhard gets a message. The secretary says "Commander Reinhard, Captain Gottwald wishes to speak with you." Reinhard answers, saying "Let him in."

Jeremiah walks in, and salutes, as Reinhard says "You are Captain Gottwald, correct? You had an interesting look after hearing about the battle plan. Can I hear your opinion on them?" Jeremiah nods, and says "Yes sir! When I heard about this deployment, and the numbers on both sides, I presumed that this would be where I would meet my end as a loyal soldier." Reinhard taps his chin, and says "A common sentiment among soldiers. But you used a past tense… Has your view changed?"

Jeremiah nods and says "Yes. After hearing your battle plan, I realized that we really can seize victory. And I just wanted to come here to say that I will do everything in my power, and fight to my limit, to help us achieve victory!" Reinhard smiles and says "Well said. I was planning on doing this anyway, but your resolve has impressed me none the less, so I will have you act as the leader of our frontal force. Do you accept, Captain Gottwald?"

Jeremiah salutes and says "It would be my pleasure, Commander! And please, call me Jeremiah." Reinhard laughs and says, "Perfect! But if you wouldn't mind, would you answer another question for me, Captain Jeremiah?" Jeremiah nods and says "Of course." Then Reinhard says, "You are a part of the purist faction, and you probably have ties to the nobility yourself, so I must know… Why were you sent here, for a battle that most would see as a lost cause? I am well aware that some nobles do not like my fast advancement, which is why I was put in this situation, but what about you?"

The room grows silent, as Jeremiah looks down, until he finally says "I'm afraid I'm still a bit uncomfortable talking about it, Commander. But basically, I was assigned as a guard, but then she was assassinated, on my watch. I failed in my highest duty. I'm sure the upper military officials wanted to sweep me under the rug, and I can't complain…" Reinhard nods and says "I understand. But I do respect your sense of accountability. It's a rare trait these days." Jeremiah salutes, and says "Thank you, sir! I shall take my leave now. Take care, Commander Reinhard and Captain Kircheis."

After Jeremiah left, Kircheis says "Jeremiah seems like a good man. We should keep him close after the battle is over." Reinhard nods and says "Yes, I agree. And contact Captain Fahrenheit. I would like him to lead the right flank. That will be the second most important position in the battle." Kircheis smiles and says "Right. I'll make the arrangements."

 **Astarte Valley: Area 10 Side**

 _The army under Reinhard had fully mobilized, and they were in their proper formation._

Jeremiah was in a mobile command vehicle, positioned to lead the front assault. The bulk of his forces were infantry, along with a few tank units. Fahrenheit was positioned at the right flank, in his mobile command vehicle, leading a similar number of infantry and tanks. Staden, who was still unconvinced of the strategy but obeyed reluctantly, held the other flank. And Merkatz was positioned at the back, heading the rear guard. Reinhard remained behind Merkatz's force, ready to issue commands as the battle unfolded.

Because this was, in general, a minor skirmish, there were no Nightmare Frames fielded for either side. And the Chinese Federation also fielded a similar arrangement of infantry troops and tanks.

 **Astarte Valley: Chinese Federation Side**

 _The army under the Chinese Federation had also fully mobilized, with their 3 separated armies equally apart from each other._

The commander of the Chinese Federation army calls his attendant, and once he arrives, the commander says "Are our forces ready?" The attendant replies, saying "Yes sir. And the Britannian army is also mobilized." The commander claps once, and says "Excellent! Proceed with the envelopment strategy. We'll teach those Britannian dogs to stop acting so high and mighty!" The attendant salutes, and leaves the room.

Once the commander was alone, he says to himself, "This'll be an easy victory… Maybe I'll get a promotion, and be able to finally leave the blasted front lines. Once I crush these fools, I'll be living a life of luxury…"

 _With both armies ready, the Battle of Astarte Valley would finally begin. And no one involved could possibly predict the outcome…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Battle of Astarte Valley: Part 3**

 **Abbreviations:**

Chinese Federation: **CF**

 _The first morning of the battle arrives, as all the armies and soldiers have moved into position. It is only a matter of time before the fighting begins…_

 **Area 10-CF Border: Astarte Valley**

Reinhard looks forward, confirming that all of his officers and soldiers were in position, and then makes an army-wide announcement. He says "Everyone! We will begin our advance on the army positioned 1 hour away from us. Follow your officers' orders, and we shall claim both glory and victory! Forward!" Following the announcement, the various staff officers gave their orders, following Reinhard's general strategy, although not every officer held complete faith in the operation.

Officer Staden drinks his tea, and grumbles while saying "That young fool will get us all killed… If things go sour, I will make a safe retreat. I will not die for that brat!" The other officers did not share those sentiments, although Officer Merkatz was still not completely convinced of the plan. He mutters, "That boy might be clever, but I just cannot understand how he can have such faith in this plan. If the enemy just has two of their three armies join together, we will be crushed…"

1 hour later, Officer Jeremiah's unit makes contact with the east-most enemy army, and makes a fierce assault. They are caught completely off guard, as a CF soldier shouts, "Why are they on the offensive? No one told us about this!" And because the other two separated CF armies were too far away, the advantage in numbers was effectively reversed.

Back at the East army's command center, the commanding officer looks on in shock, as his troops were being overrun by a force nearly 5000 soldiers greater. He knocks a glass out of his way, and shouts "What the hell is going on?" As his advisers look on in shock, he tries to regain his composure, and orders "Send word to the other armies! They'll be wiped out if they don't join together!"

But as the communications staff try to send a message to the other armies, one worker announces, "Sir! Our communications are being blocked! The enemy might have brought jamming devices with them!" The commander slams his fist onto the table, and says "Damn! We won't be able to hold on like this… Order a full retreat! We'll regroup with one of the other armies once we have a chance."

Reinhard saw the enemy troops shifting about, as they prepared for a retreat, which caused him to slyly grin. Kircheis says, "Now it is Fahrenheit's turn, correct?" Reinhard smiles and says "You think just as I do… Send the word to Fahrenheit." Kircheis nods and does so, instructing Fahrenheit to move his force to flank the retreating army.

Because Fahrenheit's troops managed to avoid the bulk of the fighting so far, they were free to break away and approach the fleeing CF army at its flank, especially since the CF army was still disorganized by their sudden loss in advantage. And when Fahrenheit's troops engaged with the fleeing enemy, they were thrown into disarray. When the East Army commander sees this, he yells "What's going on?" The combined assault from both Fahrenheit and Jeremiah, along with Merkatz's forces nearby, decimated the enemy with them barely suffering any losses themselves. After the bulk of the combat ended, Merkatz contacts Reinhard and says "The enemy has been routed. We will now commence with the mop up operation."

Reinhard replies, saying "That will not be necessary, Officer Merkatz. We will immediately begin our march towards the North Army." Merkatz nods, salutes, and ends the transmission. After the conversation ended, Kircheis says "The eastern army will not be able to impact the battle anymore, will they?" Reinhard smiles and says "Exactly…"

The Reinhard army advances towards the North Army, as the two remaining CF armies remained confused. The commander of the North Army says "Do we have any confirmation on the East army?" A young communications officer says "No sir… The enemy is using signal interference devices." Following that, the commander replies "It doesn't matter! We will ride out to assist the East army! All units, advance!" But the communications officer says, "But sir, what if the East Army is already lost? Shouldn't we join up with the battlefield commander in the West Army?"

The commander laughs and says "Are you a fool? There's no way our East Army has already fallen! The soldiers there are highly experienced veterans. Do you doubt our soldiers, boy?" The communications officer panics and says "No sir! Not at all sir!" Then the commander says "Then shut up and do as you're told!" Then, the commander mutters, saying "Besides, there's no way I'm sharing the glory… The one to rescue the East Army will be me…"

The North Army advances, which was something well within Reinhard's expectations, so he moved his forces outside of the path that the North Army would take. He also ordered Fahrenheit to lead about 2000 infantry and a few tanks, to hide them away for later. And before the North Army could reach where the East Army was, Reinhard had his army attack the North Army at their flank, confusing them. The two armies clash, as the North Army commander shouts "Where the hell is the East Army? And why is the enemy here?" Even though their numbers were fairly even, things were clearly in Reinhard's favor, because they were able to start the encounter while the CF were unprepared. So the North Army commander says "Damn… All units, we will make a breakthrough into their heart, and disrupt their formation!

The North Army begins their frontal breakthrough, while periodically sending soldiers to the back lines, allowing fresh troops to continue the attack. Upon noticing this, Reinhard says "Not a bad plan… While we're on the defensive, they can continue to cycle in fresh troops, while giving their tired ones some time to recover. If the encounter drags on, we will be the ones at a disadvantage…" Then Kircheis smiles and says "But if we can sneak some of our soldiers past them, where they can't easily react to…" Reinhard smiles, and sends off a signal flair, giving Fahrenheit his order to proceed.

As the CF's first wave ended, and those troops reached the back to have their respite, they heard the sounds of advancing troops. And when they looked behind them, they saw a Britannian force of mainly infantry and a few tanks charging at them, somehow able to avoid the fighting at the front. Fahrenheit yells, "The troops here are winded! Advance without hesitation, everyone!" When the North Army commander realized this, he shouts "Where did those soldiers come from?"

Suddenly, the North Army was trapped in a double envelopment, as Fahrenheit used his smaller force to keep pressure on their back while Jeremiah pushed forward. In the matter of an hour, the first two CF armies were routed, while Reinhard's army barely suffered any casualties. And he made sure not to squander opportunity, so he orders his troops to advance upon the West Army.

 **Astarte Valley: CF West Army**

 _Because of Reinhard's generous use of jamming devices, it took much longer for news to reach the West army, about the current state of the battle._

When the battlefield commander of the West CF Army finally heard the reports, he was terrified. He mutters "Both the East and North Armies were wiped out? We'll be outnumbered now… We must retreat… I'll get another chance to promote. I will not die here!"

But by the time the West Army made their preparations to retreat, Jeremiah's unit was already in view. The West Army commander shouts, "Everyone, turn around! The enemy is advancing upon us!" Sadly, that warning came too late, as the combined might of Jeremiah's vanguard forces and Fahrenheit's flanking caught the West Army completely off guard. At this point, it was a simple matter of numbers, as the West Army had 6000 soldiers while Reinhard's army still had 10000 soldiers. However, Staden was angered that Reinhard's insane ploy worked, so he thought up a plan to outshine him.

Staden orders his troops to circle around the West Army, as they were distracted by Fahrenheit and Jeremiah. But while they were trying to successfully reach the West Army's unoccupied flank, they were noticed by that flank, so the CF soldiers there quickly engaged. And because Staden was only brought a small force for this 'idea', their forces were isolated and were quickly wiped out. The CF were doubly motivated, since they were already at a major disadvantage, so they needed to get whatever edge in the battle that they could. Staden's command center begins to blow up, as a piece of metal flies toward him from a nearby explosion. As he succumbed to his injuries, he muttered, "That damned brat… Why was I posted here anyway…?"

When Reinhard learns of Staden's unit, he quickly says "Have Merkatz advance and reinforce the left flank! We won't let the Chinese Federation use this to their advantage." Kircheis frowns and says "It's a shame about Staden…" Reinhard nods and says "Yes, but it would have happened eventually." Kircheis nods and says "You're probably right, Commander Reinhard…"

Thanks to Reinhard's quick thinking, Staden's death did not have a large impact on the overall battle. The West Army was routed, which led to a total Britannian victory.

After the battle, Reinhard gathers his officers, so he says "I would like to congratulate you all for your impressive performance. This is our victory, and it saddens me that Officer Staden must look on from afar. I would like to make a toast…" Then, servers bring in glasses of champagne, and each officer receives a glass. Reinhard raises his glass, and says "To our victory! Prosit!" The other officers raise their glasses, and shout "To our victory! Prosit!"

 _With this, the Battle of Astarte Valley finally ended. Soon, the various people across the globe would react to this seemingly insignificant battle…_

 **Notes:**

This chapter has a bit of a reference to a strategy used in the manga Kingdom. If you're a fan of it, you might notice the reference!

Of course, I had to keep 'prosit' in.

The next chapter will be a bit of a post-Astarte thing, where different people will react to Reinhard's victory. I'll see where I can squeeze in Yang's El Facil story as well. That might end up being its own chapter.

If you liked this chapter, or story in general, then feel free to leave a review! Reviews really help let writers know if they're on the right track. I'll make sure to leave a response whenever a new chapter is released.

And now for responses to reviews:

 **HortensiA1412** : It's definitely true that Reinhard will have an easier time when he's not facing off against someone at the level of Yang Wen-li, but that also works well with a lot of early LOGH battles and events where there were more incompetent officers/commanders. Things should get trickier for Reinhard (or Yang) if they eventually clash with Lelouch or any other more competent character from Code Geass.


	4. Chapter 4

**Battle of Astarte Valley: Aftermath**

Chapter 4

 **Character Bios:** _See End of Chapter_

 _Following the conclusion of the conflict at Astarte Valley, various people across Britannia had their own reactions…_

 **Braunschweig Mansion, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

In the mansion, both Baron Flegel and Duke Braunschweig were annoyed, as they sat in a dimmed room. Braunschweig sips a bit of his wine, and says "Why'd that brat have to survive…? It took a lot of bargaining to get that battlefield set up properly."

Flegel smiles and says "But at least he won't gain much from the fight. It's too insignificant to impact the broad situation…"

Braunschweig nods and says "That's true. But at the same time, it proved that the brat can get results, even when his trusted subordinates are removed from him. We'll need to plan more carefully..."

* * *

 **Prime Minister's Office, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

Here, Prince Schneizel el Britannia discussed the battle with his right hand, Kanon Maldini, as well as General Muckenberger, via a communication link. Schneizel begins the discussion, saying "Well, it seems this is a Britannian victory. Are you satisfied with the results, general?"

Muckenberger nods and says "I can see now why you gave the brat that battle to head. If it turned out that your father chose the boy because of his sister, then we would be rid of a useless officer without incurring a dangerous loss. But if his skill was legitimate, then his victory would not catapult him too far ahead."

Kanon nods, and says "It is as the general says, Prince Schneizel. You truly understood the situation."

Schneizel laughs and says "You flatter me! But I believe that we should not make enemies out of that boy, as his potential seems to be great."

Muckenberger nods and says "And everything will be blamed on the nobles, correct?"

Schneizel says "Of course. It is well known, even by Reinhard himself that the nobles distrust and are jealous of his sister's favor with my father, as well as his own advancement."

Muckenberger nods and says "Well, I should get back to work. Thank you again for your support, Prince Schneizel."

General Muckenberger salutes, and ends the transmission, and then Schneizel says "I do wonder how well young Reinhard will do in the military. He has a good mind for strategy and tactics, as well as many other key skills."

Kanon nods and says "Yes, but what of Yang Wen-li? I've heard that his talent is vast well, as he saved the town of El Facil from destruction after a Chinese Federation attack near Area 16."

Schneizel smiles and says "Ah yes, the Hero of El Facil. We should keep a close eye on him as well. Those two rising stars could prove to be valuable assets, in the future…"

* * *

 **The Emperor's Throne Room, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

In the royal palace, Charles zi Britannia was meeting with his Minister of State, Klaus von Lichtenlade, to discuss the results of the Battle of Astarte Valley. Emperor Charles laughs to himself, as he says "They're all fools. Do they really think I would promote someone simply because of their relation to one of my concubines? That Reinhard boy will obviously go far in the military."

Lichtenlade nods, but says "He obviously holds a grudge against you. Might it be safer to eliminate him earlier?"

Emperor Charles shakes his head, and says "Why should he? His sister has a much better life now. One day he'll realize how she might have suffered had I never intervened. His father was simply too poor to support them."

* * *

 **Wen-li Residence, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

In the humble abode of Yang Wen-li, young Julian Minci was busy brewing tea, as Yang and Dusty Attenborough sat and chatted. Dusty laughs and says "You're a 'hero', but you can't even help Julian make tea?"

Before Yang can respond, Julian says "It's okay Dusty! Besides, Yang would probably mess up the tea. Or maybe even sneak his booze into it…"

Yang coughs and says "Tea tastes best with a bit of alcohol in it, anyway!"

As they chat, the door opens, and Wolfgang Mittermeyer and Oscar von Reuenthal enter, bringing with them a few bottles of wine.

Mittermeyer waves and says "It's been awhile! How have you all been?"

Julian happily waves and says "Mr. Mittermeyer! Mr. Reuenthal! I missed you guys!"

Reuenthal walks over and pats Julian's head, and says "Julian. You've grown… I hope you've been diligent with your studies. I expect you to surpass us when you become our age."

Julian nods and says "Yes, I've been studying hard!"

Then, the door opens again, as Alex Cazellnu enters; saying "Seems like the party almost started without me. Reuenthal! Mittermeyer! It's good to see you both. I hope you've both been well."

They both nod, as Mittermeyer says "We've been biding our time, after we were removed from Reinhard's command."

Cazellnu frowns and says "Damn. Are they still trying to mess with little Reinhard?"

Reuenthal nods and says "They are. But it isn't anything he cannot handle. And who knows, he might find a few new subordinates in the meantime?"

Cazellnu laughs and says "You're right about that. He really has an impressive military mind. And he's certainly more charismatic than our Hero of El Facil!"

Yang shakes his head, and says "Reinhard is incredibly talented. I'm sure he'll continue to find success."

Then, everyone sits down, as Julian serves the tea. Mittermeyer takes a sip and says "The tea tastes great, Julian." Then he turns to Yang and says "You sure have been busy Yang. How did you save that city, in the face of all those troops?"

Yang looks into his cup, and then takes a long sip, before saying "It wasn't as complicated as you might think. The top brass there wanted to sacrifice the citizens, as well as me and a few others, so they could flee. I simply let it slip to the enemy where the officers were fleeing, and as they were focused on capturing them, I was able to organize a safe retreat. And once we reached Area 16, the citizens were able to be evacuated further."

Dusty grabs the wine, and pours himself a glass, before saying "So you made your sacrifice before they could?"

Then Reuenthal adds "I assume that they left you to your own devices, Yang? I'm sure they never expected you to do something like that…"

Yang nods and says "They probably expected me to crack under pressure. If we all stayed put, then the officers would have surely gotten away as the enemy would have been too focused on us."

Then Mittermeyer adds, saying "If you hesitated even for an instant, it could have ended much differently."

Yang sips his tea again, and then says "That's true, but it wasn't a difficult decision for me. What is the purpose of a military?"

Reuenthal smiles and says "What an interesting question, Yang. For some, the answer might be conquest or expansion, but you think differently, correct?"

Yang nods and says "To me, the only purpose of a military is the protection of its citizens' lives and wellbeing."

But then Julian says "But Yang, couldn't expansion or conquest fall under that umbrella, depending on the circumstances?"

The other adults in the room smile, as Yang answers, saying "That is true Julian, but one must examine the affects of conquest or expansion, and determine who it might benefit more."

Julian nods, as Yang continues, saying "If the act of conquest truly improves the lives of a nation's citizens, then it might fall under that umbrella. But many times, the ones who receive those benefits are the rich and the influential, as the citizens remain the same. And of course, you should always keep in mind that whenever acts of conquest or expansion are performed, people will suffer and lose what they once held dear. Take Area 11 for example…"

Julian interjects, saying "That's what used to be Japan, right?"

Mittermeyer nods, but then says "Be careful though Julian. Some of the more zealous Britannians dislike designated areas being referred to by their original names."

Julian blinks, and then says "Wait, why? Doing that would only breed more tension in those areas…"

Reuenthal nods and says "You're exactly correct, Julian. But to the Holy Britannian Empire, and many citizens and officers within it, those native people's opinions aren't relevant. They would rather those native cultures be completely stamped out, rather than thinking about assimilating or acculturating at all."

Julian sighs and says "I can't believe that they do this… Yang, is this why you don't want me going to school yet?"

Yang nods, and says "That's right Julian. If you go to school, especially in this already tense age, I am sure that your head would be filled with Britannian propaganda. I'd rather teach you myself, at least until you're a bit older, so you won't be just some blank slate to be manipulated. Remember Julian, no matter what others might try to tell you, we Britannians are not superior to other cultures and races. All groups of people have their strengths and weaknesses, and it is my firm belief that we will only strive as a species if we all cooperate together."

As Julian processes Yang's point, Cazellnu claps and says "Well, Julian? How does it feel to have a radical revolutionary like Yang as your caretaker?"

But then Dusty adds, saying "But to be fair, you won't hear any disagreements from anyone sitting here…"

Everyone nods, as Julian says "Yes, I think I understand!"

 _The rest of the dinner carried on, as everyone chatted more about current events and generally took the chance to catch up, especially Mittermeyer and Reuenthal, who had been busy on their assignment lately. Julian made sure to remember the things said, as he was surrounded by incredibly experienced and gifted people..._

* * *

 **Ashford Academy Student Council Room, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

As the news of the recent victory reached the students' ears, the school was abuzz with excitement. Rivalz Cardemonde, the student council secretary, excitedly says "Hey Lelouch! Did'ja hear about the latest victory? I heard we won even though we were outnumbered almost 2 to 1!"

Lelouch Lamperouge, the vice president, replies, without even looking up from his book, saying "Who cares…"

Then, Milly Ashford, the president, says "Oh wow! Lelouch finding something boring… Who would have expected that…?"

Lelouch paid her no mind, as he always felt incredibly bored, as if he lived his life almost on auto-pilot. Deep down, he wanted revenge on Britannia and his father, the emperor, for abandoning him and his sister in Japan before invading it.

 _But he knew that it would be an impossible task for a simple student, so he resigned himself to just live his life, while challenging local nobles to chess to pass the time and free him somewhat from his boredom..._

* * *

 **Reinhard's Office, Military Base, Area 10**

 _After the battle, Reinhard and Kircheis chatted about what might come next..._

Kircheis says "We were victorious, but I wonder if we will raise much in the ranks as a result…"

Reinhard smiles and says "I have my doubts. I'm sure there was a reason why we were assigned to such a minor battle. They probably wanted to avoid us gaining recognition, if we somehow earned a victory on a grander scale." But then Reinhard lightly laughs and says "But we have found two competent allies in Fahrenheit and Jeremiah. We should keep them in close contact, once we have a chance to move up."

Kircheis nods and says "Yes, I agree."

Then, Reinhard frowns and says "I wish we could visit my Annerose, Kircheis… But there isn't time to return to Pendragon to see her…"

Kircheis sadly nods, and says "We can at least make a video call with her…"

Reinhard smiles, and says "That is true. Can you prepare it?"

Kircheis smiles, and says "Gladly…"

After Kircheis is finished, he contacts the royal palace, as Reinhard grumbles, saying "Needing to go through the royals just to speak with my sister… The nerve…" But soon, Annerose appeared on the screen, as Reinhard's eyes light up as he says "Anne! I wish I could come visit you!"

Annerose warmly smiles, and says "Reinhard! Sieg! I'm happy that you both are well…"

Then Reinhard clenches his fist, and says "Anne! I don't care how long it takes, but I will change this empire for the better! I promise you, that one day you will be free from that detestable place, and no one else will need to feel what we felt!"

Annerose smiles, and says "I believe in you, Reinhard. Follow your dreams, and change the world…"

Reinhard nods, but before he can reply, a member of his staff enters, and says "Commander Reinhard! You have an urgent letter to sign, from high command!"

Reinhard turns to the man, and says "Thank you." But before he leaves the room, he grumbles, saying "Must those bastards keep me from my dear sister at every turn…?"

Once Reinhard leaves the room, Annerose says "Have you been well, Sieg?"

Kircheis smiles, and says "Yes, Annerose."

Annerose smiles, and says "I'm glad… Do you remember our promise?"

Kircheis nods, and says "I will always be a good friend for Reinhard, and look after him."

Annerose smiles again, and says "Good. You're a good person, Sieg."

Kircheis blushes, and says "Thank you, Annerose!"

Then, Reinhard returns, and the three continue to talk. About a half hour later, Annerose ends the call, saying "Please, be careful, you two. You both mean the world to me, and I wouldn't know what to do if either of you were hurt…"

 _They both nod, and smile, feeling good that they got to talk with Annerose a bit..._

* * *

 _Following this event, time moved forward, as Reinhard continued to lead small skirmishes in this border area, with Fahrenheit and Jeremiah loyally serving under him. The months went by, until Jeremiah was reassigned to Area 11 to strengthen the Purist Faction's influence in the growing area._

 _Eventually a year goes by, as Reinhard and Yang are both assigned to Area 11 as well, as part of an initiative developed Prince Schneizel to bring younger officers to the unstable region. This time, both officers had free reign to bring their staff with them, and neither wasted the chance to bring their loyal subordinates along._

 _Soon, the rising stars of the era were all converging in the latest territory of Britannia. How will events unfold from here? And will this finally be the chance for Reinhard von Mussel to rise through the ranks, and achieve his goal of reforming the empire for the better? At this point in time, no one could predict what would happen next…_

* * *

 **Character Bios**

Yang Wen-li

(I forgot to include his bio)

He was the son of a merchant from the Chinese Federation, but he was born after they immigrated to Britannia, making him technically a Britannian citizen. His father died in a run in with thieves during a delivery, causing Yang to be forced to attend a **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen** because he cannot afford school otherwise.

He wasn't as motivated in the war-centric courses, but he was highly skilled with the practical exercises. He was in the same class as Reuenthal and Mittermeyer, and met and befriended Reinhard and Kircheis through them, along with Dusty.

Yang had, and still has, a love for history, and has a strong distaste to how Britannians seem to frequently look down on non-Britannians.

After the Battle of El-Facil, his friend and senior at the officer academy, Alex Cazellnu, assigned a war orphan to Yang, with the hopes of making him a bit more responsible. That ward was Julian Minci.

Dusty Attemborough

(I forgot to include his bio)

Dusty was born in Britannia and attended **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen**. While he went there, he befriended Yang, where they frequently shared stories of slacking off in class and avoiding having to do class work.

He also got to know Reinhard and Kircheis, due to knowing Yang, who in turn knew them through Reuenthal and Mittermeyer. Through that confusing web, those six remained close friends both at the academy and afterward, as they all were assigned to various locations.

He is a highly laid back person, and is almost as much of a fan of alcohol as his senior, Yang.

* * *

 **Notes:**

· It's time for a timeskip! Now that the characters are all heading to Japan, we should start to see more Code Geass characters and events unfold.

· I hope you guys like the banter at Yang's place. I really wanted everyone to interact, including Julian. I have some interesting plans for him, actually.

· Now for review responses:

o **Duked** :

§ Your review (specifically the bit about the actual size of the battle) actually was a big influence on how I had everyone react to the battle. For the scales of battle, I was unsure on how to do it in the universe of Code Geass. I don't remember troop numbers and things like that being focused on in Code Geass, so I'll need to figure out reasonable battle figures as things go forward.

§ And I agree with you. I personally think that Yang and Reinhard are far superior to Lelouch, because I felt like his plans always relied too heavily on his fancy Geass powers. But I will make it fair and accurate to the source material. And I will definitely focus in on Yang's superiority on defense when compared to Reinhard.

§ And about Hildegard, I feel like I should include her. She was an important character herself, beyond being Reinhard's love interest, but I'll need to think of a good way of including her. It'll be fun to have her interact with Frederica Greenhill as well.

§ But the idea of Cornelia being a love interest for Reinhard sounds neat, but I probably won't do it.

§ Thanks for the review, and continued interest!

o **HortensiA1412** :

§ As you can see, while there were bits of the episode "Empire's Afterglow" referenced, it wasn't the focus. So the idea of the post-Astarte chapter was to just have other characters comment on the events.

§ Thanks for the review, and continued interest!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chaos in Area 11: Prologue**

Chapter 5

 **Character Bios:** _See End of Chapter_

 _A year has passed since Reinhard von Musel partook in the Battle of Astarte Valley, as he and his old friend, Yang Wen-li, were soon to be reassigned to the chaotic location that was Area 11. This was part of an initiative by Prince Schneizel, who believed that sending young and talented officers to Area 11 could help with restoring order and keep the new territory safe and calm. Prince Schneizel made sure to hide his involvement, and simply made it seem like a coincidence for the two young officers._

 _The prince wanted both officers to be as effective as they could, so he gave them free reign to bring along their own trusted subordinates. Reinhard requested Siegfried Kircheis, Wolfgang Mittermeyer, Oskar von Reuenthal, and Fritz Joseph Bittenfeld. Yang requested Dusty Attemborough, Alex Cazellnu, Walter von Schenkopp, and Frederica Greenhill. Both officers would work under the Viceroy of the area, Prince Clovis._

 _No one, at this time, realized that this was the start of the legend of two heroic figures in Britannian, and even world, history…_

* * *

 **Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Reinhard and Yang enter the large building, needing to fill out some dull but required paperwork, so their subordinates and information was all in order. Once they meet the worker at the front desk, they get to work. Yang sighs to himself, and says "It's too early for government bureaucracy. I'll need a strong tea when this is all over…"

Reinhard smiles, and says "Come now… This is a great opportunity for the both of us."

Yang nods, and says "That is true. Areas of greater instability are perfect for officers to move up in the ranks. But all I need is a good retirement package."

After a bit more banter, to pass the time, they finished with their paperwork and handed it in to the front desk. Then, they waited for the adjunct to the Viceroy to introduce himself to them. As they wait, Yang says "I heard he is a Margrave, and is fairly efficient as well, although he's a member of the purist faction too."

Reinhard turns, and says "The purist faction, huh? They've been getting bolder and bolder as of late, probably because of the ramp up in the Honorary Britannian program."

Yang shakes his head, and says "They're just afraid of losing power. If more people come to view non-Britannians in the same light as Britannians, then their faction loses a lot of their relevance."

And a few more minutes pass, until the Margrave walks in. He is a tall man, with a serious demeanor, as well as bright teal hair and piercing orange eyes. He approaches the two, and salutes, while saying "It's been a long time, Commander Reinhard! Or should I say 'Lieutenant colonel' now…? I look forward to working with you here in Area 11."

Reinhard smiles, and says "So you were the Margrave here. You've done well for yourself, Jeremiah…"

Yang blinks, and says "You're friends with one of the superior officers here? You've lucked out."

Reinhard smiles, and explains his prior history with Jeremiah Gottwald, as Jeremiah then says "After I left from your command, I decided to use my rank and status as a purist faction member to do some good in Area 11."

Then, he turns to Yang, and says "I don't believe I've had a chance to meet you yet though…" So Yang awkwardly salutes, and says "Sorry… I'm Yang Wen-li, a just promoted Lieutenant colonel in the Britannian Military."

Jeremiah's eyes widen, as he says "Wait, you're the Hero of El-Facil, aren't you? It will be an honor working with the both of you!"

Yang simply smiles, and says "I was just lucky, and applied a bit of quick thinking."

Then, Jeremiah leads the two down the hallway, in order to meet the Viceroy himself. As they walk, Reinhard says "So, how is the general situation here in Area 11? I've heard it's been heavily unstable."

Jeremiah frowns, and says "That's putting it lightly… We have multiple terrorist groups scattered around the country, a sharp divide between the 11's and the Britannians, and a military that is a bit too quick to show off its power."

Yang nods, and says "Those all sound troubling. But I assume that the presence of the purist faction isn't helping that divide?"

Yang expected the Margrave to brush off his statement, but Jeremiah simply looks down, and says "I wish I could refute you, Lieutenant colonel Wen-li, but I cannot. I've tried to rein in some of the more fanatical members, but it is an uphill battle." He pauses for a moment, and then says, in a hushed tone "And our Viceroy does not make things any easier…" Reinhard and Yang both looked at each other, fully understanding that nobility does not necessarily equate to efficacy.

Once the three entered the main room, Yang and Reinhard saw just how much time and effort went into the room's layout. There were many massive portraits with golden frames, large chandeliers, tall ornate columns, and incredibly fancy looking furnishings. And sitting down painting, was the Viceroy, Prince Clovis la Britannia. When he sees his guests, he stands and gives an extravagant bow, prompting both officers to kneel.

Prince Clovis laughs, and says "Please, there is no need to bow before me. I am simply happy to meet two of my new officers! I hope the two of you serve wonderfully, so we may one day make Area 11 a place that His Majesty can be proud of." Then, he smiles, and says "Jeremiah, can you escort them out now? I simply must return to my painting!" Jeremiah nods, as Yang and Reinhard bow, before being lead out of Clovis' chambers.

After they walked a bit more, Jeremiah sighs, and says "Do you both see what we are faced with? I do hope that you will both be of help in the future. Area 11 needs more young competent officers like yourselves."

Reinhard nods, and says "Of course. We will do what is expected of us, as officers of the Britannian military."

Yang nods as well, and says "I'll make sure to work as hard as I can, so I can feel like I've earned my paycheck."

Jeremiah laughs, and says "I've never met a soldier like you, Lieutenant colonel Wen-li…"

Yang smiles, and says "Please, Yang is fine with me, sir."

Jeremiah nods, and says "If you insist. And you may call me by my first name as well, as any friend of Lieutenant colonel Reinhard's is a friend of mine."

And with that, Reinhard and Yang left the Viceroy's Palace, and went to greet their subordinates, who have just arrived in Area 11…

* * *

 **Airport, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Yang and Reinhard both arrive at the Tokyo airport, waiting for their comrades to arrive. The first people to arrive were Alex Cazellnu, a logistics officer, and Julian Minci, Yang's adoptive ward. When they arrive, Julian runs up to Yang, and says "I'm so glad I could come with you to Ja- I mean… Area 11!"

Yang smiles and pats his head, while Reinhard says "I'm sure you will learn a lot while here, Julian."

Yang adds, saying "Seeing the oppression first hand will be invaluable for you, Julian. Do not avert your eyes, when you come in contact with it."

Julian nods, and says "Of course!"

Cazellnu walks over, bringing the luggage, and says "I'm surprised you didn't start talking about getting Japanese booze, Yang. Maybe hanging around little Reinhard has allowed you to mature a bit?"

Yang rolls his eyes, and says "Alcohol is a vital part of life! You never outgrow a love for alcohol. And I probably should get myself some sake..."

Then, Cazellnu says "Anyway, it seems like this will be an interesting assignment…"

 _Yang nods, as the next person comes into view…_

* * *

Siegfried Kircheis walks over, and happily greets everyone, and then turns to Reinhard, and says "I'm glad I can serve alongside you, Reinhard!"

Reinhard nods, and says "Likewise! I don't know how I would manage, without my right hand…"

Then, Wolfgang Mittermeyer and Oskar von Reuenthal came into view, and greeted the rest. Mittermeyer laughs and says "Seems like the whole gang will be present!"

Reuenthal nods, and says "It will be nice to see how well the famous Hero of El-Facil does in person…"

Yang laughs, and says "I guess we've never served together, huh? It'll definitely be great for me to see the Twin Stars in action as well."

Mittermeyer nervously laughs, and says "Let's stop with the epitaph stuff for now…"

 _Both Yang and Reuenthal nod, as the next group comes into view…_

* * *

Dusty Attemborough and Walter von Schenkopp approached next, with Dusty looking a bit flustered. As they get closer, he yells, saying "Why do you need to hit on any woman that comes near you, you middle aged lecher?"

Schenkopp merely laughs, and says "They were all too beautiful to ignore. And I'm not middle aged. You could learn a thing or two about acting young, yourself…"

Dusty folds his arms, and says "I'm plenty young!"

Then Yang approaches Dusty, and says "Being older has its perks as well, like drinking…"

So Dusty smirks, and says "Well, I'm not that young…"

 _Then, the next person comes into view..._

* * *

After that, Frederica Greenhill walks over, and says "I'm looking forward to working with all of you." Then, she smiles and turns to Yang, and says "I'll try to not serve you coffee from now on…"

Mittermeyer looks over, a bit confused, and says "What's that all about?"

Yang nervously laughs; as Frederica explains, saying "When Yang was stationed in El-Facil, I was also stationed as an adjunct to the leading staff. After Yang had to argue with his superior officer, about the coming Chinese Federation assault, I tried to cheer him up with some coffee and lunch. Do you remember what you said, Yang?"

Yang sighs, and says "I said 'I hate coffee'…"

Schenkopp and Dusty laugh, as Cazellnu says "So unprofessional, Yang…"

Yang simply says "I was stressed out. And I've apologized numerous times already…"

Mittermeyer pats Yang's back, and says "Don't worry, Yang. I'll help you out a bit later." Then, he whispers, saying "I can't count how many times I've upset my wife, so I know how to properly apologize to people…"

 _After that, the final person came into view…_

* * *

Fritz Joseph Bittenfeld walks over, visibly annoyed, as he says "My flight was awful! There were multiple crying babies, and someone even got sick mid-flight…" Then, he sighs and grins, saying "But it's good to see some familiar faces, and it'll be fun getting to know everyone!"

Dusty looks surprised, and says "You got over that fast…"

Bittenfeld laughs, and says "That's the Bittenfeld way! Get mad and shout to your heart's content, and then don't dwell on it any longer!"

Schenkopp laughs next, and says "That's a pretty good mantra!"

* * *

 _Now that everyone arrived, the group walked through the airport, and introductions were made as they were needed, until the group separated so they could go to their respective apartments. Once everyone finished unpacking, they all met at a local bar for dinner. Even though Julian was too young, Yang snuck him a bit of booze now and again, much to the chagrin of Frederica, who wanted to be at least somewhat responsible…_

As they ate, Reinhard explained the situation saying "Area 11, formerly known as Japan, is in a tumultuous period. There are terrorist groups, and a large amount of dissatisfaction, as the Viceroy does whatever he can to keep the divide between Britannians and Elevens distinct and wide. We will all have our work cut out for us, although we do have a friend in the adjunct to the Viceroy, Jeremiah Gottwald."

Reinhard pauses, as Yang continues from where Reinhard left off, saying "We wanted to take this chance to allow anyone who didn't feel comfortable with this assignment to tell us now. We're all working so we can retire comfortably someday, but being miserable in the present isn't something we want in our officers."

The room went silent, as it became clear that no one had any desire to back out, so Reinhard smiles, and says "I was hoping you would all stick with us…" Then, he raises his glass, and says "For a prosperous assignment. Cheers!"

 _Everyone followed suit, clanging glasses and having a generally relaxing dinner. It was a great chance for friends to catch up, and for acquaintances and friends of friends to get to know each other better…_

* * *

 _And soon, the first day for Reinhard and Yang, as well as their subordinates, ended. But they would not be able to rest for long, as news would soon spread of an assassination, one which would shake the whole of Area 11…_

* * *

 **Character Military Ranks as of this point**

 **Reinhard von Musel - Lieutenant colonel**

 **Yang Wen-li - Lieutenant colonel**

 **Siegfried Kircheis - Major**

 **Dusty Attemborough - Major**

 **Wolfgang Mittermeyer - Major**

 **Oskar von Reuenthal - Major**

 **Walter von Schenkopp - Major**

 **Frederica Greenhill - First Lieutenant**

 **Fritz Josef Bittenfeld - Major**

 **Alex Cazellnu - Major**

* * *

 **Character Bios**

Walter von Schenkopp

Schenkopp is an officer in the Britannian military, who leads a small infantry group known as the Rosen Ritter. They are all experts in close quarters combat, although most officers have trouble keeping them under control, as they only truly follow the orders of a commander that they respect.

He and Yang crossed paths during a typical skirmish, and Yang devised a plan that relied on the skills of the Rosen Ritter. Schenkopp found Yang interesting, and much different from the typical Britannian officers that were obsessed with status and glory, so he followed Yang's instructions carefully. After the skirmish was over, Schenkopp chose to follow Yang, and was eventually asked to join him in Area 11.

Frederica Greenhill

Frederica was an adjunct in the El-Facil military base, serving the commanding officer. She was stationed there a year before Yang arrived, so when the chaos broke out following the attack by the Chinese Federation, he relied on Frederica's knowledge of the area to devise his evacuation plan. After that, he requested that she be assigned as his adjunct for his stint in Area 11, acknowledging her skill and value as a fellow officer.

Fritz Joseph Bittenfeld

Bittenfeld comes from a long line of military members, and he frequently recites sayings and mantras that were passed down his family tree. He was well known, maybe even a bit infamously, as an officer who made lightning fast decisions, which sometimes lead to disaster. But his passion filled his soldiers with pride, which Reinhard saw as an asset and sought to take him under his wing.

He leads an armored unit, who call themselves the Black Lancers, for their black painted tanks and equipment.

 **Notes**

1) It's been awhile! I've sort of left this story be for a bit, as I wanted to make sure that I planned out a bit more, since this would be the start of the next main story arc. I've been distracted by other things, like video games (Trails of Cold Steel is so good, and I'm happy it's on PC now [I've got some ideas for a story about that one, but I'm still sorting out the details there]) and getting more done with my Your Name/JoJo story. This chapter mainly sets the stage for the rest, but this arc will deal with the early Code Geass stuff, with the assassination stuff and all that.

2) I'm not too sure if I've specified the all the ages of the characters, but they're not too different from the LOGH canon. Some characters, like Yang and Dusty, are somewhat younger, so most of the characters that went to the officer's academy could be closer in age. I'm keeping characters like Bittenfeld and Schenkopp a bit older, so not everyone just happened to go to the same academy. And after thinking about it a bit more, I realized that what I did made them all a bit similar to the 730 Mafia from the Spiral Labyrinth Gaiden OVA, so that's pretty neat.

3) Soon, we'll see some more Code Geass characters get introduced, and I have some cool ideas for some of them.

4) I wanted to make some changes to Jeremiah's character. I replaced his Britannia focused and racist early self with his already love for loyalty. And I think it'll be more fun to have Jeremiah struggle under somebody like Clovis, while still trying to rein in his own purist faction. But with Jeremiah being much mellower in general, I will introduce some things so that the original storyline, with Suzaku (he's gonna have some cool moments coming soon) becoming a scapegoat, will still go on normally.

5) Now for review feedback:

1) **undead3** : I've already privately responded to your review, but I found everything you said to be accurate, and I will do what I can to improve future battle events when they occur. And I'm glad you thought that the character interactions were solid, because I really try to keep the essence of the characters intact when I write.

2) **HortensiA1412** : I'm glad you liked the previous chapter!

3) **duked** : I have some ideas on how to introduce Hildegard Mariendorf, so I hope you like them whenever I get to that point. It'll probably be after the current story arc, so it could take awhile. And you're right that Emperor Charles is a lot more cunning than Kaiser Friedrich, so I'll try to keep him relevant.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chaos in Area 11: Part 1**

Chapter 6

 **Character Bios:** _See End of Chapter_

 _Early in the morning, both Reinhard and Yang received instructions to report to HQ immediately. So they quickly do so, having not much more information besides that it was incredibly important..._

 **Main HQ Entrance, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Once Reinhard and Yang arrive in the building, they greet each other.

Reinhard smiles and says "I wonder what happened. Jeremiah sounded worried..."

Yang just sighs and ruffles his hair, and says "We've only been here a month, so I hope it's nothing major. Bad news only means more work for us, and I'd rather us remain idle..."

After that, they report to the front desk staff and enter Jeremiah's office. When they arrive, they see him poring over a document while rubbing his temples.

Jeremiah sees them, and looks up and says "Glad you both made it quickly! The situation is frankly not good at all." The both of them listen, as Jeremiah explains, saying "I was informed a short while ago that Prince Clovis was assassinated early this morning. The details are still scarce, and we have no leads about the culprit."

Hearing this, Reinhard says "The prince was murdered? Do we know anything else?" Then, Yang adds, saying "Prince Clovis didn't exactly present himself as a friend of the local population, so any of the many terrorist groups could be behind it."

Jeremiah answers their questions, saying "Honestly, we don't have anything to go off of right now, but I think you're right Yang. But, there aren't any reports of suspicious individuals entering his palace, so I can't think of how this happened. And so smoothly at that."

Yang nods, but then Reinhard asks "Well, is there a plan in place? We need to act swiftly, but also wisely."

After saying this, Jeremiah shakes his head and says "The rest of the staff have a plan in mind, but I hazard to even call it one. I guess it's true that having a full upper staff of purist faction members was an unwise decision. But I don't have any kind of say on those things..."

Yang lightly chuckles to himself, and says "Well, that sounds disheartening. That's why you shouldn't leave everything to extremists."

Jeremiah sadly nods, and says "Well said. Hopefully one of you can come up with something better, or at the very least get them to stop and think about the ramifications of their plan." Then, Jeremiah stands up and leads them out of the room, while saying "I'll let them explain the plan. They're waiting in the war room..."

* * *

 **Main HQ War Room, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Jeremiah leads Yang and Reinhard into the room, and shows them to their seats. While they sit down, Kewell Soresi, a light brown haired high ranking member of the Purist Faction, explains their plan. He stands, and says "In light of Prince Clovis' heinous murder, we will publically blame an Honorary Britannian soldier who was near enough to the crime area to be a believable suspect. His name is Suzaku Kururugi, and he will be a perfect scapegoat for everything." Kewell then hands out copies of Suzaku's dossier, so everyone can review it.

He pauses for a moment, before adding "Are we all in agreement?" Murmurs from the other Purist Faction members were positive, while Jeremiah shakes his head to himself.

But then Yang ruffles his beret, and then says "So we're just blaming some random soldier for this? This plan is incredibly foolish..."

Hearing this, Kewell smugly laughs to himself, and says "Oh, so one of the newcomer knows better than us, is it? I'll give you a short lesson on how things work in Area 11. The Numbers don't matter to us. If we can sacrifice one of them, then who cares?"

Yang shakes his head, and says "It says here that Suzaku Kururugi is an Honorary Britannian. He's earned the same rights as us." But then Yang mumbles under his breath, saying "We should all have the same rights anyway..."

Kewell didn't seem to hear Yang's mumble, so he says "I'm glad you mentioned that, Mr. Hero of El Facil..." Yang grimaces, disliking being referred as a hero, even though he knew that Kewell wasn't using it in a positive manner. Then Kewell continues, saying "I specifically looked for an Honorary Britannian. It will damage the reputation of the entire program, which will be a large boon for us. No matter what the law might say, he's still just a lowly 11..."

But Yang then says "Either way, this will just cause us more troubles..." Before he could explain however, Kewell interrupts him, and says "You're obviously biased. And I don't need your approval anyway..."

Yang grumbles to himself, knowing that Kewell had a point, while Jeremiah looks down in shame in the group that he has to represent.

Surprisingly, Reinhard speaks up, and says "I think this is an ingenuous plan, Lord Kewell..." Jeremiah looks on in shock, while Yang eyes his friend suspiciously. Kewell's eyes light up, as he says "Finally! A newcomer who has some sense."

Following that, Reinhard smiles and says "Would you honor me with organizing this operation? I guarantee success, _Lord_ Kewell..."

Kewell begins to rub his chin, while he says "I have heard that you are an officer who gets things done. And you already know how to address your superiors..." He trails off for a moment, before adding "Fine! I'll leave it all to you."

Following that, the Purist Faction members filed out of the room with Kewell; leaving Reinhard, Yang, and Jeremiah in the room. After that, the three of them head to Jeremiah's office...

* * *

 **Jeremiah's Office, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Once they arrive, they see his adjunct Villetta Nu, who says "Well, how did it all go? Do we have a plan in place?" Jeremiah sighs to himself, while Yang pours himself a cup of tea with a large splash a brandy with it, before sitting down. Villetta sees this, and says "That doesn't bode well... What happened in there?"

Jeremiah sits down at his desk, and then says "Maybe Reinhard can explain?" Villetta scratches her head, a bit confused by this, so she sits down too.

Reinhard sits down next, and then says "Before that, why was Kewell's plan not the right one?"

Yang replies, saying "That's because it wouldn't placate the local population, since they wouldn't have cared much about Prince Clovis' death; and it would only spur the actual culprit to act more boldly, since they would be denied their spotlight. The only thing they're thinking of is how to damage the Honorary Britannian program."

Reinhard nods, and says "Exactly. But couldn't this actually become much more effective if we change a few things?"

Jeremiah furrows his brow, as he says "You have a plan in mind?" Yang then takes a sip from his 'tea' as he says "Was that why you were stroking that fool's ego?"

Reinhard smiles, and says "You've seen right through me. I think I can alter this plan, so it will actually be effective."

Then, he turns to Jeremiah, and says "Can I have a meeting with this Suzaku Kururugi? I have a few questions for him..."

Jeremiah thinks to himself for a moment, before saying "I can arrange that. So we're still using him?"

Reinhard nods, and says "Yes, but not in the way that Kewell had in mind..."

 _An hour passes, as Jeremiah requests for Suzaku to be brought up to his office, claiming that he needed to perform a minor interrogation, since he was still the main suspect in Clovis' murder. Once he arrived, he was sat down in front of Jeremiah, Reinhard, and Yang..._

Before any of them could speak, Suzaku says "Please listen to me! This was all a misunderstanding!"

Reinhard nods, and then says "I only have one question for you, Suzaku Kururugi. Did you assassinate Prince Clovis?"

Suzaku vigorously shakes his head, and yells "No! Of course not!"

Hearing this, Reinhard smiles, and says "Well then, I have a second question for you. Would you like to assist in finding the true culprit?"

Suzaku's eyes widen, as he says with bewilderment "Wait... what...?" Reinhard continues to smile, as he says "The Purist Faction wishes to have you blamed for everything, because they can only think of how to increase their own standing. I will not stand for such foolishness. Will you work with us?" As he says this, he removes Suzaku's shackles, essentially freeing the young soldier.

Suzaku was still dumbstruck, so he says "Who are you guys...?"

Reinhard nods, and says "Ahh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Reinhard von Musel, and I was recently assigned here. I don't enjoy wasting talent in foolish schemes."

Yang then puts down his cup of tea, and says "And I'm Yang Wen-li. Sorry you had to see the bad side of our government..."

And Jeremiah then says "I am Jeremiah Gottwald, I was the adjunct to Prince Clovis and the main representative of the Purist Faction, although I've been trying to dissociate myself from them as of late. So I apologize for the actions of my 'associates'..."

Hearing all of this, Suzaku breathes a sigh of relief, as he says "I don't know what to say... I thought I was going to be executed for something I had no part of, just because of who I am... But, why me?"

Reinhard frowns, as he says "Frankly, you had a run of bad luck. You just happened to be the latest Honorary Britannian, which was why you were picked. But after reviewing your profile, I'm glad that we prevented your death."

Suzaku starts to scratch his head in confusion, as he says "But I still don't understand. What's so special about me?"

Reinhard lightly chuckles to himself, as he says "You must be modest. According to your file, you had an incredibly high synch rate with the experimental Knightmare Frame Lancelot, correct?"

Suzaku nods, and says "Oh yeah, I guess so. I've only been able to run a few tests with Mr. Lloyd, before I was arrested..."

Before Reinhard could respond, Jeremiah says "What are you thinking of, Reinhard? That Knightmare Frame isn't yet ready for combat..."

Reinhard shakes his head, and says "But it could be, if enough tests are performed, correct? I want Suzaku to resume his tests with the Lancelot for the time being. We'll just say that we're using him for research before executing him. That should keep the purists happy."

Suzaku looks around, still confused, so he says "I don't get what's going on... What do you need me for then?"

Yang sighs and says "It sounds like you'll be bait for the real culprits kiddo. Will you be okay with that?"

Suzaku resolutely stares, while he says "Of course! I thought I was just going to die earlier, so anything is better than that. And I want to prove that 11's can be useful to Britannia as well!"

Hearing this, Jeremiah puts a hand on Suzaku's shoulder, and says "You've already proven to me to be a loyal man. I'll arrange all of this. Next month, we will find those responsible for Clovis' murder!"

Yang finishes his tea, as he adds, saying "And we'll humiliate those purists at the same time..."

 _While Reinhard was busy planning out how to successfully draw out the true culprits to Prince Clovis' murder, many other groups were slowly acting as well..._

* * *

 **Ruined Building, Saitama Ghetto, Area 11**

 _In this location, the terrorist Zero was meeting with his subordinates, Kaname Ohgi, Kallen Kozuki, and Shinichiro Tamaki. They were all reacting to the news that the Britannian forces in Area 11 had discovered the one behind Prince Clovis' assassination._

While they were all planning their next move, Tamaki slams his fist on the table, and yells "But we were the ones who killed that bastard!"

Ohgi tries to comfort his friend, as he says "I know you're frustrated, but we need to stay calm and think of what to do next. Do you have any ideas, Zero?"

They couldn't see Zero's face, due to his purple mask, but he simply says "That I do, Ohgi. All we need to do is reveal ourselves on the day that the soldier is to be executed, and rescue him. We'll be seen as a group who care about Japan's people."

Tamaki stands up and shouts, saying "Yeah! We'll show them!"

But Kallen shakes her head, and says "And how do we plan on getting there? It'll be heavily guarded..."

Zero replies, saying "That's a good point, but I think we'll find a way. But before that, I feel I should share with you all who I really am. But I need to ask you all one final time; do you wish to create free Japan, no matter the cost or who your comrades are?"

The three of them audibly gasp, as Tamaki yells "You're gonna take off your mask? And I don't care who the hell I've gotta work with if it means we'll be free of those Britannians!"

Ohgi nods, and says "If you're going to trust us with this, we'll reciprocate. We did all take down Prince Clovis together."

Kallen merely nods silently, still suspicious of their new partner.

Zero then says "Thank you for your trust. I only ask of you all to not share this information. I promise that I have just as much of a reason to hate Britannia as all of you..."

Hearing this, Kallen glares as she says "Wait, are you saying that you're not Japanese?" The other two look on wordlessly, as Zero removes his mask, revealing himself to be a young purple eyed Britannian boy, probably not much older than Kallen.

Tamaki immediately stands up and lifts Zero by the neck, as he says "Wait, you're a Britannian? And just a kid?" Zero nods, while struggling to breathe properly, while Kallen's eyes slowly widen.

Eventually, she shouts, "Wait, Lelouch?" Hearing this, Ohgi turns to Kallen and says "Wait, you know this kid?" Kallen shakes her head, and says "Well, not really. We just go to the same academy, so I know his face..."

Tamaki eventually puts him down, as Kallen moves closer, while she says "Why the hell are _you_ Zero?"

Lelouch brushes himself off, and says "First of all, my real name is Lelouch vi Britannia. I am a prince who was exiled by my father to Japan, after my mother was murdered before my eyes. I _will_ destroy Britannia. If that means securing Japan's independence, then so be it. Will you three follow a disowned prince of Britannia, if it means crushing it for good?"

The three of them remain silent for some time, until Ohgi eventually stands. But surprisingly, he grabs Lelouch's hand, and says "If what you say is true, then you have been harmed by Britannia just as we have. I wish to see my people free from oppression, and I have no qualms with working with a Britannian to reach that goal. What about you guys?"

Tamaki scratches his head madly, as he says "I can't believe we're gonna be taking orders from a punk kid! And a Britannian prince no less!"

Kallen folds her arms, but says "It doesn't bother me at all. Just don't mess up, _Zero..._ "

Lelouch smiles, as he says "Of course. I have no plans on losing to my old man. We _will_ destroy Britannia, and bring freedom to Japan along with it..."

* * *

 **Prime Minister's Office, Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia**

When news of Prince Clovis' death reached Schneizel's ears, he sadly asked Kanon to pour him a drink. Kanon does so, while saying "It's a shame about Prince Clovis' death, your highness..." Schneizel nods, and then takes a sip from hid drink, while he says "Thank you Kanon. Clovis led a good life..."

After that, Schneizel says "I heard that the officers at Area 11 already have a plan. Could you inform us, Staff Officer Oberstein?" Oberstein nodded, before his eyes began to flicker, causing Kanon to look on with confusion. Schneizel then says "Are you alright? Is it your artificial eyes?"

Kanon merely says "Artificial eyes, sir...?"

Oberstein nods, and says "I apologize, but I was born with a disease which rendered me partially blind, requiring these cybernetic implants. They sometimes act up."

After this, Kanon nods, but then says "Well then, your report?"

Following this, Oberstein explains the current plan to use an Honorary Britannian as the scapegoat for Prince Clovis' murder. After Oberstein was finished, Schneizel laughs and says "I wonder if it'll work out for them? Kanon, keep an eye on things, just in case things get worse in Area 11."

Kanon salutes, and says "Of course sir!" Then, he turns to Oberstein, and says "And you are dismissed..."

Oberstein nods, and then walks away, until he reached an empty hallway. And once he was alone, he says "That plan obviously won't work as is. If they didn't humor the Purist Faction, they might actually get things done. But Prince Clovis was useless, so it's no issue that he was removed from power. Too bad the same can't be done against Britannia as a whole..."

Following this, Oberstein looks out a window toward the sky, wondering how things will develop in Area 11; and if it was possible to topple the Holy Britannian Empire.

 _Soon, the month passes, as Reinhard lays his grand strategy out, hoping to catch the true murderer of Prince Clovis in his prepared net..._

 **Character Bios**

Kewell Soresi

Kewell is the second highest ranking officer in Area 11, behind Jeremiah, and is one of the more influential Purist Faction members. His political standing only increased when Jeremiah tried to enact a more moderate stance, due to his time serving under Reinhard, which has essentially caused Kewell to become almost as powerful as Jeremiah. And since the majority of the high staff in Area 11 were purists, it only proved to increase Kewell's influence in Area 11.

Suzaku Kururugi

Suzaku is a young Japanese citizen who chose to become an Honorary Britannian, hoping to act as an example for his people. Sadly, it only generated more ire from other Britannians and his own people as well. The Britannians still thought of him as inferior, and the other Japanese born people of Area 11 viewed him as a traitor.

He is a Britannian soldier who started to act as a pilot for the experimental Knightmare Frame Lancelot, having tests run on him by the research organization Camelot.

Villetta Nu

Villetta is Jeremiah's right hand, who does whatever she can to support him in keeping Area 11 a successful extension of Britannia. She originally joined the Purist Faction because of her deep admiration of Jeremiah as an officer. She believes much more in the individual skill of a person, rather than their heritage or status.

She has high hopes for Reinhard and Yang, especially after hearing what Jeremiah thought of them. And with how the Purist Faction has been become more and more bold with their actions, she hopes that the fresh officers will be able to redirect the growing wind in a better direction.

Kallen Kozuki

Kallen is a Japanese girl who is part of a minor terrorist group, who all wish for Japan to become free from Britannian rule. She now works under the mysterious Zero, has helped them find victory more than once. She also goes to a Britannian academy, under the assumed name 'Kallen Stadtfeld'. She is a skilled Knightmare Frame pilot, as well as an even more skilled physical fighter, although she has only been able to work with a repurposed red Glasgow Knightmare Frame.

Kaname Ohgi

Ohgi is a young Japanese man who previously led the resistance group the Zero currently leads. He wishes to free Japan, just like the rest of his group, so he tries to keep a level head while planning out what to do.

Paul von Oberstein

Oberstein is an officer under Prince Schneizel, whom he does respect for his skill in negotiation and his ruthlessness. Privately, he has a strong distaste for the royal family, and the entire Britannian system as a whole, but he hasn't found someone who could truly change the world for the better. For now, he is content to serve under Prince Schneizel.

 **Author's Notes**

 **1)** First of all, welcome back! It's been awhile, but I've been busy with other things, including my Trails in the Sky/Cold Steel story, which you probably noticed. I've also made a few changes to the previous chapters. Most of the changes were to that battle scene, to hopefully make it a bit clearer so the strategy actually looks like a proper strategy. I'll list out the other changes I made as well.

 **1A)** I added a small scene in Chapter 4 that had Emperor Charles talking with Klaus von Lichtenlade (from LOGH) about the battle that occurred. It's pretty short, but I figured that he should be given some kind of role, since Emperor Charles is much more of an active presence than Kaiser Frederich IV from LOGH.

 **1B)** I also made more minor changes, but they were more of tweaks to dialogue and things that I noticed after reviewing what I wrote, in preparation for this chapter.

 **2)** With the new LOGH anime airing now, I hope it creates new fans of this series, since it really is awesome. And seeing the early parts again, makes me want to add in an actual moment where Reinhard visits Annerose in person, since their relation is a key part of Reinhard's character. I'll probably include that after this arc.

 **3)** I've also included a bunch of character bios. I figure that this will be helpful, at least for the characters that will have larger roles in certain parts of the story. And this also gives them context for this version, since things are slightly changed, with the cross over between LOGH stuff and Code Geass stuff. I'll keep it near the end, so it doesn't get in the way of the content of the chapter.

4) And of course, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! This is definitely my most challenging one to work on, since it has so many characters to think about and properly prioritize. If you have any feedback, feel free to leave it in a review! I don't really think too much about 'shipping' aspects of stories, so just keep that in mind. If romances happen, they'll just be between characters who have canon relationships.

Take care!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chaos in Area 11: Part 2**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Character Bios:** _See End of Chapter_

 _As the days went by, while Reinhard and Yang finalized their plan, many other individuals learned of and reacted to the death of Prince Clovis..._

* * *

 **Cornelia's Room, Royal Headquarters, Area 18**

 _The news of Prince Clovis' passing had reached his half-sisters, Princess Cornelia and Princess Euphemia, who were both deeply moved by the event..._

Cornelia slams her fist onto the table, and yells "Damn that Area 11! First I lose Lelouch and Nunnally, and now Clovis? After we are done here, I will bring order to that place..." Then, she turns to her sister, who was sullenly staring off into the distance, so she places a hand on her shoulder, and says "How are you holding up, Euphy?"

Euphemia sadly sighs, and says "I don't know... I've just been thinking of Lelouch and Nunnally, and how much I miss them. Why did they have to go to Area 11 anyway...?" Hearing this, Cornelia goes silent, well aware that those two were sent there because Lelouch angered their father. She definitely didn't agree with the decision, but there wasn't anything anyone could have done to stop it at the time.

Cornelia simply says "I wish I had an answer for you, Euphy... The most we can do now is live well, for all of their sakes..." Following that, Cornelia hugs her sister, and then leaves to prepare their next battle plan, probably hoping to drown herself in her work, to avoid thinking any longer about the loss of her half-brother.

And now that Euphemia was alone, she mumbles to herself, saying "Could those two really be gone though? No one saw them since they went to Area 11, so maybe they survived...?" But then she shakes her head, and says "No, that's just foolishness... I need to focus on the present now, just like she said..."

* * *

 **Braunschweig Mansion, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

 _In this opulent location, the nobles Braunschweig and Flegel were discussing the latest news out of Area 11 as well..._

A servant walks up to both of the nobles, who were sitting next to each other in a well-stocked study, and pours them both glasses of red wine. After that, the servant was dismissed, before Braunschweig says "It seems like the Royal Family has lost another of theirs..."

Flegel takes a sip of his drink, and responds, saying "So it seems... I wonder how the rest of the Area 11 staff will handle this situation..." Braunschweig simply drinks a bit of his glass as well, before pulling up a document and presenting it to Flegel.

Then, Braunschweig says "I was given a leak of their current plans, if you'd like to see. It looks like they will blame a young Honorary Britannian soldier, and hope that things work out after that."

Hearing this, Flegel laughs and says "That does sound like a plan hatched up by the Purist Faction. I doubt it will actually accomplish what they desire though. But maybe we could use this to our advantage, Uncle...?"

Braunschweig hums to himself, as he says "You have a plan? I'm all ears, especially after Astarte. Since the blonde brat did better than we expected, it made us look incompetent. And now I owe a favor to Schneizel without any gains..."

Flegel nods, and says "That's true, but this little idea would be something for after the situation in Area 11 stabilizes a bit. With Clovis' death, there will be a vacuum of power, and I can't imagine anyone currently stationed there to completely fill that. So we select someone to act upon that role..."

Upon saying this, Flegel takes another sip, while Braunschweig says "Who do you have in mind?" After this question, Flegel pulls up the file of a seasoned member of the Britannian Parliament's House of Lords, and gives it to Braunschweig. He examines it, and then says "The current Defense Chair, Job Trunicht? He seems to be doing well this year..."

Flegel smiles, and says "Quite so... He also is a man who values having friends among the nobility, and I am sure he would take the role as the new Viceroy, if he was given the opportunity..."

After this, Braunschweig finishes his drink, and says "Area 11 should be a profitable sector, especially with the abundance of Sakuradite. Someone like him might give us a fair cut of those profits, which would be a welcome boon. And having a friendly face at the head of Area 11 would carry many other perks as well. Excellent idea, Flegel..."

Flegel then finishes his glass next, and then says "You honor me, Uncle... I'll begin making the arrangements." Now that they had a plan in mind, both high nobles look forward to the future, hoping to bring themselves ahead of the Royal Family.

* * *

 **The General's Quarters, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire**

 _In this building, General Muckenberger was meeting with Klaus von Lichtenlade,_ _the_ _current Minister of State, as they were both also concerned with the recent events in Area 11..._

Muckenberger sighs to himself, as he reviews the current available information regarding Area 11, as Lichtenlade says "Things seem tense right now, but truthfully, Prince Clovis was, unfortunately, not the type to run a government location effectively. We might even see an overall increase of productivity in Area 11, after the smoke clears..."

Hearing this, Muckenberger nods, and says "I feel the same as you do, but I am concerned with what they plan to do in the interim. There is still the issue of who committed the act of assassination, and I have my doubts that this Suzaku Kururugi is even the real culprit."

Lichtenlade smiles, and then says "Ahh yes, I've heard that they seemed to have determined that the young Honorary Britannian soldier was the one to assassinate the prince. But with how present the Purist Faction is in Area 11, it all does seem too convenient to their end goals."

Muckenberger nods again, and says "If they really wish to blame this young kid, then Area 11 could erupt into a full scale rebellion. And there are already too many resistance fighters and terrorists present there, that still haven't been extinguished. I wonder if I should bring a detachment and intervene..."

Surprisingly, Lichtenlade shakes his head, causing Muckenberger to look at him, slight confused. He explains, saying "I do not believe that will be necessary. Your favorite officer, Reinhard von Musel, is stationed in Area 11 as an adjunct to the Sub-Viceroy. Even if you still hold a grudge, I cannot deny his ability."

Muckenberger simply sighs to himself, before going to pour himself a drink, while saying "At this point, I would be a stubborn fool to dismiss that boy. He surely has some kind of plan to actually resolve this situation..."

Lichtenlade nods, and then adds, saying "And I understand that Yang Wen-li is stationed as another adjunct, so I have no doubts that the situation in Area 11 will not worsen, at the very least. Although they are both wild cards, so we should continue to watch them closely, without impeding them..."

Muckenberger agrees, while handing Lichtenlade a drink of his own, before saying "Speaking of Prince Clovis, how did His Majesty take the news?"

Lichtenlade has some of his drink, before scratching at his chin, while saying "Quite frankly, I find it difficult to read His Majesty at times. He did slightly concerned by the death of Prince Clovis, but he quickly retreated to his private quarters. Outside of that, he has not shown any signs of grieving, although I cannot tell if he is simply keeping a strong façade for appearance's sake."

 _Following that conversation, Minister Lichtenlade left to return to his duties, while General Muckenberger continued to monitor the situation in Area 11..._

* * *

 **Camelot Research Building,** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

 _Following Reinhard's request, Jeremiah Gottwald made arrangements so Suzaku could continue to run tests for the experimental Knightmare Frame, the Lancelot..._

Another standard test was currently underway, with Camelot director Lloyd Asplund and assistant director Cecile Croomy observing the flowing data. And once they had finished the test, Suzaku leaves the Lancelot, and begins to talk with the two of them, as a post-experiment interview.

Lloyd begins, calmly saying "Now then Suzaku, can you describe how it felt to pilot the Lancelot during this exercise?"

Hearing this, Suzaku thinks for a few moments, until he says "I'm not sure if I can explain it well, but it just feels natural to pilot it, like I can make it move the way I want it to. Even though it all looks complicated, it's almost like I'm just moving my body around..."

Lloyd and Cecile proceed to write this down, as Lloyd says "It sounds like you're an even better candidate for the Lancelot than I originally thought! If you continue running drills with it, I am sure we will see even greater capabilities out of it..."

Cecile nods, but then she give Suzaku a bottle of water, while saying "You did a great job, but don't forget to recover, okay? Neither of us wants to see you wear yourself out." Then she turns to Lloyd, and adds, saying "Right, Director...?"

Lloyd merely chuckles and says "Oh of course, our devicer would be of no use if he fails to look after his health..."Cecile just sighs, realizing that Lloyd could only see things through the lens of his scientific research.

But the Suzaku changes the subject, saying "I really can't believe I'm getting this second chance. And I'm really happy that you're both willing to still work with me..."

Cecile warmly smiles at Suzaku, and says "You're a good person, and I would hate it if an innocent youth was blamed for a crime that he didn't commit." Suzaku looks up happily in response, surprised by Cecile's kind words.

So then he says "You're fine with me even though I'm an Eleven...?" A few passerby's hear this, and grumble while shuffling away, causing Suzaku to look down in shame.

But Cecile just says "Your standing doesn't influence me, Suzaku. I try not to see the world with such rigid lines..." Suzaku remained silent, amazed that he met another person so soon after Reinhard and Yang who didn't hold his heritage against him.

Unsurprisingly, Lloyd adds, saying "It really doesn't matter to me if you're Britannian or an Eleven. If you can advance my research, then I'm content..." Even though Suzaku only knew Lloyd for a few months so far, he fully expected this kind of response. From what he witnessed, Lloyd was a man who was truly obsessed with his research, to the point that he barely showed interest in other areas. But even with all of that, Suzaku wasn't convinced that Lloyd merely didn't notice these things; he thought that Lloyd was simply uninterested, since he would still comment on social issues if he wanted to make a snarky or clever statement.

* * *

 _After that, Suzaku finishes his water, and prepares to return to his holding area, when he notices a group of nearby soldiers suddenly saluting, making him realize that an officer was approaching..._

Major Kircheis was planning on inspecting Camelot's branch here in Area 11, especially now that Reinhard was planning on working so closely with them. He was aware that they've made a breakthrough with this new Knightmare frame, so he hoped to get some information directly from the source, while checking on Suzaku's condition at the same time. When he heard of Suzaku's situation, and how Reinhard included him in his plan, he was relieved that they could prevent someone innocent from being punished. This whole situation made him hope that Reinhard, along with Yang, could change Britannia for the better.

Once Kircheis enters the building, he inquires on where the Lancelot tests were being performed, so he quickly makes his way there. And when he nears the area where the Lancelot was, he saw that the test seemed to be finished, so he settles for just meeting the head researchers, along with checking on Suzaku.

When Kircheis arrives, the nearby soldiers salute, which prompts Suzaku to do the same. And Suzaku was not expecting an important officer to approach him, so in the process of saluting, he accidentally drops his bottle of water. But to his surprise, Kircheis calmly picks up the bottle, and hands it to Suzaku, while saying "I'm happy to see you holding up well, Suzaku. You may ease yourself."

Suzaku's eyes widen, as he returns to a more relaxed stance, as he says "You honor me too much, Captain! You don't need to worry about me. I may be just an Eleven, but I'll do my part!" Suzaku held an expression that was partially determined and partially ashamed, but Kircheis merely smiles back at him gently.

Then, he says "Last I heard; you were still an Honorary Britannian. So there is no need to put yourself down so much. You're already working hard for us, and you're willing to take part in a potentially dangerous operation, so you've already proven your character. At least, in my eyes..."

Hearing this, Lloyd laughs, and says "My, my... Aren't you a reasonable one! If we had more officers like you, maybe things wouldn't be so bad in this world." Kircheis smiles at him, while Cecile shoots her colleague a sharp glare, as if to tell him to behave around officers who had an influence on their employment and funding.

But Kircheis turns to Lloyd, and says "You flatter me, Mr. Director. And while I'm here, I wish to relay just how much we appreciate your work. I hope that Camelot will be willing to collaborate with us after this operation finishes."

Lloyd smiles, while grabbing a cup of coffee and sipping from it, before saying "I find it much more enjoyable, and exciting, to work under someone clever like Colonel Reinhard or Colonel Yang. At least, when compared to a foolish royal..."

Kircheis calmly smiles, while Cecile gasps and says "What Director Lloyd was trying to say was that we are grateful for the chance to continue working with Suzaku, so we may finalize the Lancelot project." After that, she salutes, and then pesters Lloyd to follow suit, which prompts Kircheis to return to his other duties.

But before he leaves, he says "Let me, or any other of Reinhard's or Yang's staff officers, if you need any assistance. Take care..." He then respectfully nods, and leaves their presence, allowing Lloyd and Cecile to continue prodding Suzaku's mind for more data regarding the Lancelot...

* * *

 **Hi-TV Building,** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

 _While Reinhard and Yang finalized their plan to catch the true culprit of Prince Clovis' murder, Jeremiah acted to carry out one early portion of their plan, by meeting with an influential producer at the Hi-TV news media building..._

Jeremiah, along with Villetta Nu, approach the front desk staff, and says "Greetings, my name is Jeremiah Gottwald. I believe that I have an appointment with a Diethard Ried." The desk staff person checks the records, and then ushers the two guests to Diethard Ried's office, and lets them inside.

Once they were there, Diethard introduces himself, saying "Hello! I am one of the producers here at Hi-TV. I understand that you need to contract us out to spread some news? Would I be wrong to assume that this relates to Prince Clovis' recent death?"

Jeremiah remains silent for a moment, impressed but suspicious that this man made that connection. He could guess that this Diethard was more perceptive than he originally expected, so he would need to be guarded with what exactly he said. It would be for the best if he strictly kept up the appearance that the current plan was to execute Suzaku Kururugi for Prince Clovis' death, stressing that he was the sole one responsible. As Jeremiah remained silent, Diethard smiles and says "You can just tell me what is necessary..."

Following this, Jeremiah explains the 'plan' to deal with the killer of Prince Clovis, hoping that Diethard would focus more on the obvious foolishness of this 'plan' rather than the possibility that there was a true plan beneath this presented false 'plan'.

And once Jeremiah heard all of it, he taps his chin and says "So, what you need me to do is spread that this boy was the one who murdered Prince Clovis, even though the proof is circumstantial?"

Jeremiah nods, aware of the role he needed to play, as he says "It will be a necessary sacrifice. The Honorary Britannian program will be dealt a harsh blow, while we alleviate the tension from the prince's death."

With that answer, Diethard smirks and says "You don't need to justify yourself to me, Sub-Viceroy Jeremiah. As long as we are fairly compensated, we will fulfill this contract." Then, he stands and shakes Jeremiah's hand, as he adds, saying "I look forward to future business with you..."

Jeremiah smiles before leaving the office with Villetta, suppressing his distaste for having to say these kinds of things and act as the typical purist faction member. And once they were out of the building, Villetta whispers, saying "I know this must be hard for you, sir. But with this, we could figure out who truly performed the assassination!"

 _And as they leave the area, they approach a nearby bar, hoping to unwind after playing the role of typically bigoted Britannians. But when they enter, they see one of Yang's officers, Walter von_ _Schenkopp, and one of Reinhard's, Wolfgang Mittermeyer, having a drink at the bar. And once Schenkopp and Mittermeyer see them, the two wave them over..._

* * *

 **Nearby Bar,** **Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

 _Now that the four of them were together, Jeremiah requests a private room in the bar, just in case their conversation moved toward the current plans for catching the one who really assassinated Prince Clovis..._

Schenkopp smiles, and says "You two look like you were busy."

Jeremiah nods, and says "We needed to make arrangements with Hi-TV, since we needed whichever terrorist who committed the act to be well aware of whom we were planning to blame the act on." Then, he takes a drink from his glass, and then sighs, before adding, saying "I just can't wait until we're finished with this farce. I can't say I enjoy playing the role of the zealous Britannian purist..."

Hearing this, Villetta says "We're only doing this to catch the real killer. And if this all goes well, we could damage the Purist Faction's influence here. Then, we won't need to even humor their desires..."

Jeremiah laughs to himself lightly, and says "When did you become such a moderate, Villetta...?"

Villetta merely shakes her head, and says "I only joined the Purist Faction because I had a deep respect for you as an officer. And after fighting on the front lines for all these years, I've seen that anyone could screw up, or find success, on the battlefield; no matter their origin."

After that, Jeremiah takes another swig of his drink, and says "Well, I'm glad I'm not surrounded by hardliners..."

Then Mittermeyer puts down his glass, saying "I feel the same way. It's good to be working with reasonable comrades. And I must say, you really are playing a difficult role Jeremiah, and not one that any of us envy."

Schenkopp nods, and says "Same here. I know if I were in your shoes, I would have been discharged years ago by knocking out one of those fools..."

Upon hearing this, Jeremiah says "You must have a unique perspective, as the current leader of the Knights of the Rose. Didn't your parents originally live in the EU, specifically in Germany, even though you were born in Britannia?"

Before answering, Schenkopp takes a large drink of his glass, and then says "I would say so, yes. I was born here, but I have a different view on some things, so I'm less tolerant of the typical Britannian zealot than others. Surprisingly, I've never been treated differently, since technically I'm just as 'Britannian' as anyone else. I wonder if it has to do with me having ties to another major political power, than somewhere that Britannia subjugated..."

Villetta shakes her head, and says "It could be because of your skill in combat and your experience in general. I can imagine you challenging anyone who questions your right to live normally, and I can't see many people winning that dispute."

Schenkopp laughs and nods, and says "That could possibly be it! That kid, on the other hand, is just a private, so he doesn't have much to lean on. But when this is over, I want to start training him in close quarters combat. I think he's got potential."

Jeremiah then taps his chin, before saying "You think so? That could be easily arranged. We should try and get all of Camelot under our wing while we're at it."

Mittermeyer then nods, and says "Of course. They are developing more advanced technologies every day, so we should keep them on our side."

But after that, Jeremiah pauses for a moment, before saying "Anyway, how are Reinhard and Yang doing with all the preparations? I've mostly let them work on their own..."

Mittermeyer responds, saying "Those two are really amazing. The last time I was in the room with them, they'd fire off potential actions back and forth, before easily finding ways to counteract each other. I wouldn't want either of them as opponents..."

But Schenkopp grins, and says "But at the same time, we're lucky to have them both developing the strategy."

Jeremiah nods, and says "I got to see Reinhard's ability at Astarte, but I never could picture how it might look to see two people of his ability working together. Maybe the situation here in Area 11 will actually improve..."

 _Following their conversation, the four of them leave the bar and continue on their day..._

 _And so, time continues to slowly advance, while Reinhard and Yang tirelessly hone their strategy to capture the person, or group, which truly assassinated Prince Clovis..._

 **Character Bios**

Cornelia li Britannia

Cornelia is the second princess of the Britannian Royal Family. She is a skilled warrior and Knightmare Frame pilot, as well as a military leader. She is a highly serious person, and harshly looks down on non-Britannians, believing that Britannia should be the true leader of the world. In a sense, Cornelia is so focused on waging war so that her sister, Euphemia, could lead a safe and secure life.

Currently, she is in Area 18 leading the subjugation force, focusing the anger she feels for her half-brother's death into her combat.

Euphemia li Britannia

Euphemia is the third princess of the Britannian Royal Family. She is a young woman who distastes violence and war, which does put her at odds with Britannia's current foreign policy. Even though she feels this way, it hasn't negatively influenced her relationship with her sister, Cornelia. But deep down, she wishes that her sister could abandon all of the fighting that she does for her country.

She is currently in Area 18 with her sister, although she is keeping far away from any of the fighting occurring there.

Lloyd Asplund

Lloyd is the director at Camelot, which is a Britannian research group that has developed many advanced and experimental products, with the Lancelot being their latest project. He is also a noble, although he rarely attends functions or even behaves like a typical noble would, as he is much more interested in his research.

Right now, his current obsession is bringing the Lancelot Project to a point where it can deploy onto the field. And with how Reinhard and Yang clearly recognized the potential of the Lancelot, he now holds some curiosity toward those newcomers as well.

Diethard Ried

Diethard is a producer at a major news media firm, called Hi-TV. He is a man who values a good story above anything else, and there are rumors that he is searching for a potential subject to follow and document. Due to his experience as a journalist, he has a keen eye.

Job Trunicht

Job Trunicht is currently the Defense Chair on the Britannian Parliament, specifically on the House of Lords. He is a competent member of the government, but there are rumors of his corrupt nature and willingness to do favor to those in significant areas of power, such as the high nobles. Typically, he gives fiery and patriotic speeches, which provides him with plenty of favor with the nobles and more influential Britannians.

Britannia has a typical bicameral legislature (2 houses/chambers) with the Upper House being the House of Lords and the Lower House being the Senate. The House of Lords mainly cover the needs of the nobles while the Senate covers the needs of the common people. They don't have nearly as much power as the high nobles or royal family, but they can have an influence, especially members of the House of Lords, so certain members can receive large perks for supporting more influential Britannians. (this is how the system works in Code Geass, with a few tweaks)

Yang Wen-li

(I forgot to include his bio)

He was the son of a merchant from the Chinese Federation, but he was born after they immigrated to Britannia, making him technically a Britannian citizen. His father died in a run in with thieves during a delivery, causing Yang to be forced to attend a **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen** because he cannot afford school otherwise.

He wasn't as motivated in the war-centric courses, but he was highly skilled with the practical exercises. He was in the same class as Reuenthal and Mittermeyer, and met and befriended Reinhard and Kircheis through them, along with Dusty.

Yang had, and still has, a love for history, and has a strong distaste to how Britannians seem to frequently look down on non-Britannians.

After the Battle of El-Facil, his friend and senior at the officer academy, Alex Cazellnu, assigned a war orphan to Yang, with the hopes of making him a bit more responsible. That ward was Julian Minci.

Dusty Attemborough

(I forgot to include his bio)

Dusty was born in Britannia and attended **The Holy Britannian Officer Academy of Terneuzen**. While he went there, he befriended Yang, where they frequently shared stories of slacking off in class and avoiding having to do class work.

He also got to know Reinhard and Kircheis, due to knowing Yang, who in turn knew them through Reuenthal and Mittermeyer. Through that confusing web, those six remained close friends both at the academy and afterward, as they all were assigned to various locations.

He is a highly laid back person, and is almost as much of a fan of alcohol as his senior, Yang.

 **Character Military Ranks as of this point**

 **Reinhard von Musel - Lieutenant colonel**

 **Yang Wen-li - Lieutenant colonel**

 **Siegfried Kircheis - Major**

 **Dusty Attemborough - Major**

 **Wolfgang Mittermeyer - Major**

 **Oskar von Reuenthal - Major**

 **Walter von Schenkopp - Major**

 **Frederica Greenhill - First Lieutenant**

 **Fritz Josef Bittenfeld - Major**

 **Alex** **Cazellnu -** **Major**

 **Author's Notes**

1) Hey everyone! This chapter (and probably the next one) will mainly involve characters interacting and laying the ground work before the actual operation occurs. I'm including some character bios, as well as some that I forgot to include originally (like for Yang and a few others)

2) I decided to include this list of character ranks too, since it might not be clear. I'm not 100% sure of this, since Code Geass doesn't seem to list out concrete military ranks, and LOGH focuses more on the naval aspect. Hopefully it all works well. I'll add this in to the end of the first chapter that starts this arc (Chapter 5) as well.

3) I also hope that people who are watching the new Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Die Neue These) like it. I'm watching it, and it's been pretty good so far. If you're a fan of the original, or haven't gotten into it due to the large amount episodes, you should definitely check it out.

4) If you have any feedback, feel free to share it in a review!

Take care!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chaos in Area 11: Part 3**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Character Bios:** _See end of chapter_

 _While Yang and Reinhard were still hard at work finalizing their plans, Lelouch was doing the same thing with his own allies, as he was well aware that they'd need to make a strong and impactful entrance..._

* * *

 **Abandoned Building, Saitama Ghetto, Area 11**

Lelouch was in a random location, meeting with his comrades, while explaining his general plan. He begins, saying "Since the Britannians plan to execute Suzaku Kururugi, we will mobilize to rescue him while claiming responsibility for the assassination of Clovis. Using the ability I mentioned, which is apparently called Geass, I will influence the nearby soldiers to allow us to pass toward the execution stage. And after that, we will simply free him and escape, using those soldiers to cover us."

The group remains silent to process Lelouch's explanation, until Ohgi says "You've said that your ability can 'command' others. Would you mind explain that to us in more detail?"

Lelouch nods, before he says "Well, I've done a few tests, so I think I know how it works generally. I can only use the ability on one person, to give them a single command. Those commands can be simple or complex, although I still am unsure of how effective more complex commands are. I believe there are other more abstract applications to this ability as well, specifically if used on an ally."

Kallen then looks up, and says "And what's your idea with that? I can't say I'd want to have a command put on me..."

Lelouch nods, and says "Of course. This is all hypothetical, but either way, I would inform you if I planned to do this first. But I believe that I could give a command like 'Fight to the best of your ability!' and it should push your body to its limit. Of course, it wouldn't do anything that you couldn't do before, but it could function like a surge of adrenaline or a brief period of general awareness of the battleground. I don't wish to risk and test this at the moment, but I will try to think more on it in the meantime."

After this, Ohgi, says "Well, I can see how that could be useful, at least..." But then, his eyes widen slightly, and adds, saying "Wait a second Lelouch. Didn't you say that you could only use this 'Geass' one time on any individual person? Doesn't the scenario that you described involve more than one command?"

Hearing this, Lelouch shakes his head, and says "For this, I will use a more general command, having those soldiers obey Zero for the duration of the night. I am not yet sure of how potent more general commands are, so I don't wish to risk things with a long-term command at the same time."

Then, Kallen speaks up, saying "It's only the four of us, with only a single Knightmare Frame. Won't we just be overwhelmed?"

Lelouch taps his chin, deep in thought, until he says "For that, we can simply use the other soldiers who are nearby. It's a reasonable assumption that many of them won't be in their Knightmare Frames at first, so we should have an opening. And I have no doubt that whoever is leading this will be out of their Knightmare Frame."

After he says this, Kallen replies, saying "But you'll have your mask on, right? Won't you need to reveal yourself for this to work?"

Upon this valid concern, Lelouch walks and grabs his mask, before pressing a switch, causing a small piece of the tinted glass to shift out of the way. This surprises the group, as Lelouch smiles and says "With this, only my eye will be visible. And when I use my Geass ability, my eye seems to turn dark red, which would make it difficult to identify me."

Ohgi eventually says "We're massively disadvantaged, so I'll take whatever we can get to help us out. Let's try not to abuse this though, okay Lelouch? I don't want to have to stoop to Britannia's level..."

Lelouch nods, and says "I understand completely. We will be careful with this Geass power, at least when we can."

After this, Ohgi clasps his hands together, and says "It sounds like we have a decent idea now of what we'll do at the execution! Let's begin setting everything up..."

 _Following that, Lelouch's group begins prepping their van and Knightmare Frame, getting themselves ready for the moment of truth..._

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

 _The next day, Julian was ready to visit this well regarded academy, hoping to be able to meet and get to know more people his age, as well as get a more well-rounded education. Yang might have practically been a genius with history and politics, but he wasn't nearly as skilled in other areas. Sadly, Yang was still much too busy to visit the academy with him, as much as he would have loved to do so. As a result, he requested two of his trusted friends, Dusty and Reuenthal, to visit the academy with Julian, to evaluate it in his stead..._

Julian was still fairly nervous, as he was walking alongside Dusty and Reuenthal, who were wearing more casual clothing. Dusty sees this, and pats Julian's back, while saying "You've got some first day jitters! You'll be fine."

Reuenthal nods, and says "You're a capable kid Julian. Just do what feels natural to you..."

Hearing those words of encouragement, Julian nods, and says "Thanks guys! I think I'll be alright..."

Once they arrive at the academy front gate, they were greeted by a confident looking blonde student, who grins and waves, while saying "Hi! You must be our new student, Julian Minci. I'm Milly! I'm the academy's class president, so I'll be handling your tour! And you two must be the ones replacing Mr. Wen-li for the tour?"

Julian smiles, and says "Hi! It's nice to meet you, Milly. I'm looking forward to the tour." Hearing this, Milly smiles sweetly back.

Then, Dusty says "Yep! We're Yang's co-workers in the Military here. He's been pretty busy lately, so we're stepping in..."

Reuenthal nods, and says "Yang is someone who values education, so I hope the facilities are of a high quality."

Hearing this, Milly says "I hope our academy meets your expectations as well! I heard that Mr. Wen-li is a famous soldier, but we won't bother you too much about that, Julian..."

Julian lightly blushes, not expecting her to tease him about Yang and his status as a hero. And after Milly feels proud of successfully teasing the new student, she leads the group past the gates and toward the school building.

And as they walk, Dusty leans toward Julian and whispers, saying "She seems like a cutie, huh Julian? And she's probably just a couple years ahead of you..."

Julian simply glares at Dusty, while whispering back, saying "I never thought you'd sound just like Schenkopp. I'm here to learn, not to hit on women..."

Upon that, Dusty backs away and begins to mutter a form of retraction, as Reuenthal says "It seems like Julian has inherited Yang's sarcastic wit..."

Dusty just shrugs to himself, and says "We can all get pretty sarcastic with each other, so it'd make sense..."

 _Following that, Milly leads the three guests all through the school building, allowing Julian to meet the various instructors. And as they met with them, Dusty and Reuenthal would occasionally ask them questions as well, hoping to see how strong the general curriculum was at the academy. They spend about an hour and a half touring the whole academy, until Milly leads them to the Student Council Room, hoping to introduce Julian to her fellow class representatives..._

* * *

 **Academy Student Council Room, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Once they were in the room, Milly grins while extravagantly stretching her arms, while saying "And now... Welcome to the student council room!" She then smiles, and says "The sullen looking guy is Lelouch, our vice president."

Lelouch glares, and says "Must you do this now? I'm trying to read..." After that, he briefly looks at Julian, who tries to give him a respectful wave, but Lelouch pays him no mind, surprising Julian.

Milly ignores this, and continues, saying "The guy who looks a bit spacey is our secretary, Rivalz."

Hearing this, Rivalz loudly gasps, while saying "What do you mean by that?!" But then he smiles, and says "But it's nice to meet you, Julian!" He then goes to shake Julian's hand, kindly welcoming the new student.

Milly merely smirks, and says "And the nice looking girl is Shirley! She's just a regular member though..."

After this, Shirley smiles, and says "Hi Julian! I hope you enjoy school here. We at the student council are always here to chat, even if Lulu is acting a bit sour..."

Hearing this, Lelouch puts down his book, and says "Don't call me that in front of new students, Shirley..."

Shirley just lightly laughs to herself, and says "Sorry... I forgot..."

After that, Milly continues, saying "And the red-headed beauty is Kallen, although she's more of the quiet type..." Kallen suddenly drops her pen in shock, as she looks at Milly with a flustered expression, hiding her normal forceful nature away from the others, since she acts as a Britannian while at the academy.

 _But now that Julian was introduced to everyone in the room, he begins chatting with them, telling them a bit more about himself. He talks about his adoptive father, Yang, and how he is a military officer in Area 11. And after a few minutes, another member of the student council,_ _Nina Einstein, walks into the room..._

Nina walks in, and goes to work on some of her school work, while saying "I hear that the military is executing that Eleven solider. Serves him right. Elevens are too dangerous to be in the military..."

The other student council members silently sigh to themselves, well aware that Nina had many 'issues' with the people native to Area 11. But to their surprise, the newcomer Julian answers her, saying "That soldier is an Honorary Britannian, so he has every right to serve Britannia. And besides, they're only 'dangerous' because Britannia forcibly took over their nation and dismantled their government..."

The others continue to watch, as Nina looks over and glares, saying "Who the hell are you...? And what do you know..."

Julian then says "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself... My name is Julian, and I'll be attending school here soon. Milly led me on a tour, and we ended up here..."

Before Nina could respond, Lelouch puts down his book and smirks, while saying "Couldn't you argue that it was the Eleven's fault for being too weak to resist? If they simply accept things, they things would be better for them..." Kallen continues to watch, aware that Lelouch was challenging this new kid to prove that he didn't really care about the Japanese, and she was looking forward to him cracking.

Dusty and Reuenthal share a look, ready to observe this small debate that was about to unfold, hopeful that Julian would defend his stance effectively. Julian shakes his head, and says "I'm not certain. Even if they acted completely subservient to Britannians, they would still be treated as second class citizens. And just because Britannia has a more advanced military, it doesn't mean that their invasion was just."

Then, Nina speaks up and says "But what about all the terrorists? They're a danger to society!"

Julian responds, saying "They might be terrorists to us, but to them, they're just fighting to regain a sense of humanity. Maybe if we enacted policies where they could begin to feel like human beings again, those terrorists would begin to give up..."

Kallen might not have been showing it, but she was impressed by this new kid. Whenever the topic of terrorists in Area 11 cropped up around her, she'd always hear Britannians gripe about how they were dangerous or how they caused issues. They'd never think about it from their perspective, where they just wanted their country back. And here was some random Britannian actually showing empathy toward the Japanese people; and he wasn't even using terms like Elevens or Area 11.

But Nina just grumbles to herself, and walks away, while saying "I can't believe some Eleven sympathizer will be attending the academy. I'll make sure to avoid you..."

As Nina leaves, Julian looks down, and says "I just didn't agree with her viewpoint. I wasn't trying to antagonize her..."

Milly then puts a hand on his shoulder, and says "Nina is a special case with that, so she can be extra sensitive. Don't feel bad, Julian. And you held your own pretty well!"

Shirley then smiles, and says "Yeah! And our chats are usually a lot more fun, so sorry you had to see things get a little ugly back there..."

But then, Lelouch stands up and says "You seem to be pretty smart, Julian... Do you play chess?"

Milly glares at Lelouch, fully aware of what he was planning to do; while Kallen watched curiously. To her, Julian did well enough with that discussion, to the point that she could at least believe that he did not hold any prejudice against Japanese people. But to Milly's surprise, Julian smiles, and says "I can't claim to be an expert, but I've learned a thing or two. I'd love to play a match!"

 _Following that, Lelouch prepares the chessboard, while the others watch as both Julian and Lelouch started their match. Dusty and Reuenthal had particularly high hopes for him, since they both believed that Julian could one day succeed Yang..._

* * *

Now that the chessboard was set up, the two begin to play. The match starts off normally, but Lelouch moves his king piece forward at the earliest opportunity, surprising Julian. And as he does this, he smirks, and says "If a king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subjects to follow him...?"

Julian smiles, and says "That's an interesting philosophy. But couldn't it also be argued that a king's duty is to effectively deploy his subjects, and to avoid risking himself in the process? It is true that the subjects are important, but the battlefield would fall apart if the king is dispatched."

Lelouch then furrows his brow and focuses more on the match. He was honestly annoyed that this kid wasn't affected by that line. Every time he's used it on a spoiled noble, they would immediately brush him off, before backing away in shock once they inevitably lose. But this kid accepted his viewpoint, and quickly offered an equally valid counterpoint, without exposing any weakness in his strategy. And after pondering all of that, Lelouch smirks, highly interested in this new kid.

The game continues, as both players remained evenly matched, to the point that it was difficult to determine who was winning. As they played, Milly quietly says "I can't believe Julian is doing so well... Lelouch plays chess all the time..."

Rivalz nods, and says "Yeah! He regularly challenges nob- I mean plays at the local community center..." Lelouch quickly glares in his direction, annoyed that he nearly exposed their secret. He didn't care that much if people knew, but he knew that Milly would pester him if she found out about it.

The match continues, as Dusty and Reuenthal whisper among themselves. Reuenthal says "He's doing quite well, although that other kid is also performing well..."

Dusty nods, and says "Yeah, I'm kinda amazed, since Yang is such a terrible chess player..." They both share a silent laugh, as they continue to observe the match.

Eventually, both players lose enough pieces to only have a few left each, putting them at a difficult standstill. But before either player could claim an advantage, Milly checks her watch while loudly tapping her foot, before saying "Is it okay if we just call it a draw? I need to do something soon, so I'd like to escort Julian and his guests out of the academy..."

Lelouch nods, and says "Fine. I look forward to seeing you at the academy, Julian..."

Julian smiles, and says "Sure! Thanks for the fun match!"

Following that, Milly escorts them out of the academy, before leading them to the front gate. Then, she grins and says "That was a lot of fun! I look forward to when you begin school here! Feel free to stop by the student council room, okay? We always welcome new students to join!"

Julian nods, and says "Thank you for the tour Milly! I really felt welcomed..."

 _After that, Julian leaves with Dusty and Reuenthal, intending to return to the Yang and Reinhard's dual military office, hoping to tell his adoptive father all about his experience today..._

* * *

 **Ruined Ghetto, Town Near the Narita Mountains, Area 11**

Around the same time that Julian was visiting Ashford, Yang and Reinhard received a report of a Britannian squad attacking a small group of terrorists from the Japanese Liberation Front. And as they were examining the report, they quickly discussed how to approach it...

Reinhard begins saying "From what it says, the squad seemed to have underestimated the terrorist group, and is now pinned down in a ruined section of the ghetto near the Narita Mountains. The terrorists do not have the equipment to actually rout our squad, but our squad lacks the manpower too..."

Yang scratches his chin, and says "So they're in a stalemate. And it says here that the squad was full of purist faction members, so it's no surprise that they underestimated the terrorists. And even though they could retreat, since it seems like the terrorists are not actively engaging, they are refusing to do so."

Following this, Reinhard says "But if we send a small group of reinforcements, we can forcibly end the encounter. Why don't we send Mittermeyer? He is adept with quick operations."

Yang nods, and says "That's true. He's earned the moniker 'Gale Wolf' after all. I'm all for it."

* * *

 _Now that they came to a decision, Mittermeyer was officially tasked with breaking the current stalemate that existed between their own soldiers and the terrorists of the Japanese Liberation Front, with the additional request to avoid casualties when possible. Mittermeyer readily accepted the assignment, and quickly rounded up some of his men, and approached Narita. He was in a_ _Sutherland_ _Knightmare Frame, leading around five other soldiers in_ _Glasgow_ _Knightmare Frames..._

After about an hour, they near the reported location, and as Mittermeyer and his squad approach, he says "We need to act carefully. The best outcome would be to force the terrorists to flee." His soldiers agree, so they move toward the location.

And once they were close enough, they charge out with their weapons drawn, as Mittermeyer announces "Reinforcements have arrived! You have no hope of victory!"

The Britannian squad leader then says "Good! Let us rout those Elevens together!"

But Mittermeyer disagrees, and says "No, we should withdraw! We have no way of knowing if they will receive reinforcements as well. I've only deployed enough soldiers to implement a safe retreat!"

After hearing this, the Britannian squad leader grumbles, and says "Well then you're of no use! I'll dispatch the enemy leader myself!"

And as he charges with his Sutherland Knightmare Frame, he is met by the JLF squad leader's Knightmare Frame, which was painted black and white and wielded a red katana-like blade. That Knightmare Frame easily sliced the Sutherland's arms, effectively leaving it without a way to effectively battle. That Britannian squad leader angrily shouted, yelling "You damned Eleven!"

However, before the JLF squad leader could deal the finishing blow, Mittermeyer fires off his Slash Harkens, pushing the enemy Knightmare Frame back. And as that happened, Mittermeyer yells "Fall back; I'll hold him off!" The Britannian squad leader begrudgingly followed Mittermeyer's instruction, and piloted away from the battlefield, with his pride shattered.

Now that Mittermeyer was facing his opponent one-on-one, the JLF squad leader says "My name is Kyoshiro Tohdoh, former Lieutenant Colonel of the Japanese Military. To whom do I have the honor of facing?"

Mittermeyer responds, saying "I am Wolfgang Mittermeyer, known by some as the 'Gale Wolf'. I will gladly accept your challenge, Tohoh..."

Following that, they begin to clash against each other, with Mittermeyer keeping his distance from Tohdoh's sharp katana. Mittermeyer would frequently make use of his torso-mounted machine gun and his handheld assault rifle, successfully preventing Tohdoh from getting in range with his blade. This exchange lasted a few tense minutes, before both fighters decided that it would be better to just safely retreat, since neither of them needed to subdue the other.

And as Mittermeyer backs away, he says "That sword of yours is incredibly sharp, and it's obvious that you have a great deal of skill in wielding it. I look forward to facing off against you in the future, former Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh..."

Tohdoh responds, saying "I must say, you've avoided my strikes effectively. And I am frankly surprised that you've shown even this much respect to a member of an apparent lesser race..."

Hearing this, Mittermeyer says "It may not seem believable, but not every Britannian subscribes to that rhetoric. My superior officer is a man who is much more focused on the skills of an individual, rather than their background or race, and I believe in that as well."

Tohdoh laughs to himself silently as he returns to his comrades, still retreating from the battlefield, as he mutters "If only there were more Britannians like that soldier's superior. Maybe we wouldn't need to take up arms in that case... Oh well..."

 _And now that this minor skirmish ended, Mittermeyer lead the Britannian soldiers back to the Tokyo Settlement, glad that the only loss was a Knightmare Frame's arms. He would gladly accept that, over the loss of life, any day..._

* * *

 **Milly Ashford's Room, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

 _Around after Milly escorted Julian and his guests off of academy grounds, she returned to her room, knowing that she scheduled a video conversation with a family friend of hers..._

Milly sits down at her desk, and activates the video console, and sees the other person appear on the screen. This woman had dark blonde moderately shorter length hair and was dressed in formal, but not incredibly formal, attire. Milly grins, and says "Hildegard! You look great! How have you been...?"

The woman, Hildegard Mariendorf, smiles and says "I've been well, Milly. I hope that the academy has been running smoothly. I understand that Prince Clovis was assassinated. Are you okay?"

Milly nods, and says "Oh, you're such a worrier! Things haven't gotten crazy or anything."

Hildegard sighs, and says "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I really hope they don't actually plan on executing that young Honorary Britannian. That will only make things worse..."

Milly responds, saying "Yeah; that kid looks like he's around my age. And he's pretty cute..."

Hildegard glares, and says "Milly! This is a serious situation..."

Milly just laughs to herself, and says "I know... I just like to keep things fun, I guess. And I don't get to see you get all flustered at me anymore, since I'm here in Area 11..."

Hildegard warmly smiles, and says "Well, it might not be that way for long. I've been discussing this with father, but we're planning on relocating to Area 11 as well. Our family still has some influence, although not as much as other nobles, but we can hopefully do some good over there."

Milly's eyes widen, as she says "You're moving here? That's so cool! Now I'll be able to pester you as much as I want..."

Hildegard smiles again, but then she says "I still find it appalling on what happened to your family, Milly. The Ashfords supported Lady Marianne and developed some truly advanced Knightmare Frame designs for the time. No one could have predicted that she would be assassinated, and your family should not have been dragged down because of it..."

Milly just smiles, and says "You've always been such a great older sister to me! But I like my life now, so you don't need to worry. But I'll see you soon, I guess!"

 _Following that, Milly ends the transmission, and happily sighs to herself. She was glad that there were still people around who cared about what her family did, but she liked her life at the academy, so she didn't need to worry about anything. But the news of Hildegard and her father moving to Area 11 truly made her happy..._

 _And soon, time continues to pass, until the fated day where Reinhard's and Yang's plan would be implemented..._

* * *

 **Character Bios**

Milly Ashford

Milly is the current heir to the Ashford noble family, which heavily invested in Knightmare Frame technology early in the field's development. They also were staunch supporters of Lady Marianne, who was a skilled Knightmare Frame pilot and one of the Emperor's many wives. However, after she was suddenly assassinated by an unknown assailant, many of the more jealous nobles moved to push the Ashfords out of society.

Today, they reside in Area 11, while managing Ashford Academy, while patiently waiting for a chance to regain their social status.

Milly herself is less concerned with this, as she would rather enjoy her life at the academy and find her own way in life afterward. She sees Hildegard as a kind of older sister, and deeply respects her understanding of political movements and military strategy, even though she couldn't care at all about any of that stuff.

Kyoshiro Tohdoh

Tohdoh was a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Japanese Military, and when the government surrendered to Britannia, he and many of his comrades fled to form the Japanese Liberation Front. He currently leads a group called the Four Heavenly Swords, which consists of skilled Knightmare Frame pilots.

He is an honorable man who only fights when it is absolutely necessary, which has compelled him to fight with the JLF to one day free his people from Britannia's rule.

Hildegard von Mariendorf

Hildegard is a member of the Mariendorf family, which are one of the few families that still respect the Ashford family. Because they are a middle level noble family, there was little that they could have done to prevent what happened to the Ashfords, which is something that her father, Franz von Mariendorf still regrets.

She is a young woman who is much more interested in politics and battle tactics than fancy parties and living the way typical nobles might. And she wishes to use her knowledge and decent social standing and influence to support Area 11, since Milly is still there, who she views as a sort of younger sister.

Nina Einstein

Nina is a young Britannian member of Ashford Academy's student council, and a girl who is gifted in the realms of science and technology. She is a soft spoken girl, and she has a heavy aversion to the Japanese, which leans much closer toward fear than the typical superiority that most Britannians express.

Milly in particular wonders if something happened to her far in the past that caused her to think this way, but this was something for her to silently ponder.

* * *

 **Notes**

1) Wow! A week between chapters? That's not common with me. I'm trying to get these out on a slightly more structured basis, so hopefully I keep to it. At least until this arc finishes up.

2) This should be the last chapter of setting up before the big event actually occurs. I just wanted to give enough characters a chance to shine as things progressed.

3) As a general note, I think I will officially state here that I won't be deviating from any canon character pairings. If it happened in either show (LOGH or Code Geass) it'll probably happen at some point in the story too. That also means that characters that do not really have any canon pairings are fair game, and could even be paired up across the two series.

4) Hope you enjoy and take care!

* * *

 **A note about that spam 'review'**

You might have noticed a new long review on the story. It's just a spam bot (I believe) as it is posting that same set of text on tons of stories, and even posting them as their own story at times. I reported it, so hopefully it gets removed. You can all safely ignore it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chaos in Area 11: Part 4**

Chapter 9

* * *

 _A few days before Reinhard's and Yang's plan to lure out the real one who assassinated Prince Clovis, they gathered Suzaku, Jeremiah, Mittermeyer, and Reuenthal, since they would be the principal actors of this operation..._

 **Main HQ War Room, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

To start, Yang says "Well everyone; we're getting close to the big day... You all have important roles to fill, so I expect you to work to earn your paychecks..." The others begin to laugh, but then Yang looks to Suzaku, before saying "Oh... We'll try and get you on the payroll as soon as this is finished. Soldiers shouldn't work for free after all!"

Suzaku just nods and says "I'll do my best, sir! I won't let this chance you gave me just slip away..."

Hearing this, Reinhard gives a subtle smile, before saying "Your drive is admirable, Suzaku... You will surely find success in the military if you remain with us..." After that, Reinhard moves to one of the computer panels and pulls up the general layout of the execution area.

There was the large platform where Suzaku would be placed at, as well as guards positioned in each nearby intersection, with Jeremiah positioned in a Knightmare Frame in front of the platform. Mittermeyer and Reuenthal would be located near the North and South sides of the area, both in Knightmare Frames, where they would each lead a group of foot soldiers and tanks.

After that, Reinhard zooms in on the execution platform, revealing that it will be hollow, with the Lancelot Knightmare hidden within. Upon seeing this, Reinhard says "Suzaku will appear to be properly chained up, with Jeremiah administering the general proceedings, but the floor of the platform is designed to collapse. With that, Suzaku will be able to enter the Lancelot, which is now ready for field deployment. That should catch our intended target off guard, which will allow us to corner and apprehend them."

Surprisingly, Lloyd enters the room and says "May I add that the Lancelot is ready for early field deployment. Once this operation is finished, we'll need to run more tests, so try to keep this one brief..."

Hearing this, Yang takes a sip of his tea and says "We'll do what we can, Lloyd. This wouldn't have been possible without the hard work Camelot put in..."

Lloyd merely laughs in response, and says "All part of a day's work!"

 _Following that, Lloyd leaves just as casually as he entered, as the rest continue to discuss the plan..._

* * *

 **Empty Building, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

In this location, Lelouch was discussing his current plans for the next day with his comrades. Lelouch provided a detailed list of the soldiers who would be present at the execution, amazing the others...

Ohgi takes a look at the list, while saying "How in the world did you get this, Lelouch? This kind of information will give us a huge edge. Did you use that power of yours...?"

Lelouch shakes his head and says "I just asked a favor from an old friend of mine. She is adept at covert operations, so she had no trouble with copying all of that down. But with this information, I'll be busy using that ability..."

Hearing this, Kallen says "What are you planning with those soldiers?"

Lelouch replies, saying "Essentially, I'll pay a visit to around half of those soldiers so they will go berserk upon my command. It'll be what we'll use to cover our escape since the Britannians will be too preoccupied with the resulting chaos..."

 _After that, Kallen joins Lelouch as they prepare to find the soldiers who will be assigned that night..._

* * *

 _A few days later, the execution was finally ready to be televised…_

 **Execution Location, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

 _Currently, Suzaku was shackled up on the execution platform, while Jeremiah stood in his Knightmare Frame, visible to everyone. And while he delivered a speech on how Prince Clovis will be avenged, even if on the inside he hated the experience, since he sounded just like he used to, with the rest of the purists._

As this was happening, Reinhard and Yang were in a nearby building which was converted to their HQ, while Kircheis remained with them as well. And when Jeremiah showed off Suzaku, causing a rain of applause, Kircheis says "So far, there are no reports of suspicious activity..."

Yang nods and says "We still have time. Let's hope this draws them out..."

While that was happening, Ohgi was driving a decently sized truck, carrying the rest of them inside. As they drove, Lelouch says "According to our information, the North and South checkpoints are being supervised by capable officers. We should approach the Western checkpoint..."

Ohgi nods, and brings them there, as they stop at that checkpoint. And as they were stopped, a soldier approaches and says "Sorry about this, but we're not having a live audience for this. Security purposes, the guys in charge tell me. I know this is pretty exciting, but we've gotta follow orders, so you'll need to turn around and just watch on TV…"

As the soldier says this, he laughs to himself, before saying "The speech is still going strong, so you've got time to get to a bar or something if you don't wanna miss it..."

They do not leave, and before the soldier could ask anything else, the window opens, as Lelouch activates his Geass ability. As he does this, he says "I, Zero, command you... Allow us to pass, and report that there is nothing to report here..."

The soldier first raises an eyebrow and says "Sorry buddy, but I can't let ya pass... Also, do you need to be so ru—" Before the soldier could finish, he suddenly salutes, while saying "At once; Master Zero!"

Following that, Ohgi continues forward, while the soldier reports, saying "This is the western checkpoint; nothing new to report here..."

As Ohgi continues to drive toward their primary objective, Kallen says "Once we get there, we'll be surrounded by enemies. I'll do what I can in my Knightmare, but are you sure we'll even be able to grab Suzaku Kururugi?"

Lelouch merely smiles, and says "Don't worry Kallen… The Britannian officer giving that speech will be the perfect tool for the operation..."

* * *

 _Following that, they finally reach the main square, causing Jeremiah to suddenly stop what he was doing..._

Upon seeing this, Reinhard slams his fist on the desk, and says "What is that? We should have been given a report about this!" Then he looks toward one of the other soldiers, and says "Check the security footage from the last 10 minutes! They had to have passed through one of the checkpoints."

As Reinhard did this, Yang contacts Mittermeyer and Reuenthal, and when he hears that the truck did not pass through either of their checkpoints, he says "Contact Diethard Ried... This is a good time to cut the feed."

Following that, Diethard receives the order, causing him to grumble and say "Cut the feed? The execution is one thing, but how can I not record what's about to happen...?" But after that, he sighs and says "If I kept on broadcasting, I'm sure the government would retaliate, so let's listen. Keep filming though, just in case..."

Now that the live feed was cut off, and Jeremiah was informed, he looks at the disrupting group and says "And what are you; some advocacy group?"

Suddenly, the roof of the truck partially opens, allowing Lelouch to rise up while fully dressed and masked in his Zero attire. And once he was in view, he exaggeratedly points and says "Advocacy...? Nothing of the sort. I merely do not appreciate my hard work being attributed to another..."

Hearing this, Jeremiah furrows his brow, and says "In other words; do you mean to say that you were the one who murdered Prince Clovis?"

In response to that, Lelouch bows with extreme flair, before saying "That man was guilty of mistreating the Japanese people for years! I merely enacted justice upon him..." After that, he points toward Suzaku, and says "And now I shall rescue that poor soldier, and save him from being blamed by his tyrannous government!"

Surprisingly, Jeremiah smirks and says "Well then, how about we start the real show?" After he says this, the execution platform gave way, allowing Suzaku to fall right through it. But right after that, the walls of the platform collapsed as well, revealing a shining white Knightmare Frame. Once it activates, Jeremiah says "We anticipated this, and Private Kururugi was more than willing to play the role of a prisoner, if it meant capturing the real culprit. And now, we can..."

Upon seeing this, Kallen runs in the back toward her Knightmare, while saying "This is really bad, Lelouch! I'll go hold him off while you and Ohgi escape!"

Ohgi shakes his head, and says "No way! If anyone should do that, it should be me. Take him with you Knightmare Frame, and I'll ram them..."

To both of their surprise, Lelouch laughs, while saying "There is no need to worry. This was outside my expectations, but we can still escape unscathed..." After that, he has his mask reveal his left eye as he activates his Geass, aiming at Jeremiah. As he does, he says "I, Zero, command you to cover our escape!"

Upon hearing that, Jeremiah's eyes widen as he shouts, yelling "How dare you attempt to command me! I am a loyal officer, and I shall bring you to jus—" Suddenly, Jeremiah pauses, before grabbing his head as if he was suffering from a headache. After that, he salutes and says "As you command, Master Zero!"

After that, Jeremiah reenters his Knightmare Frame and charges at the Lancelot, confusing Suzaku. As this happens, Suzaku says "Lord Jeremiah, what are you doing? We need to apprehend him!"

Jeremiah continues to engage with the Lancelot while saying "No! I have to cover Master Zero's escape! I must accomplish his command!"

* * *

 _While those two were locked in combat, Ohgi takes the chance and speeds away, driving toward the North checkpoint..._

Back at the HQ building, Reinhard angrily throws his glass to the side, while saying "What the hell's gotten into Jeremiah? At this rate, they'll escape!"

Kircheis nods and contacts Reuenthal while saying "This is an emergency. The enemy is currently moving toward your checkpoint, in an attempt to escape. I don't know why, but Jeremiah is currently trying to assist in their escape, so it's up to you and your soldiers..."

Reuenthal nods and says "I'll apprehend them... I do wonder what caused Jeremiah to behave like this..."

Kircheis sadly sighs and says "I can't see him simply betraying Reinhard's trust, especially after all the work we did for this plan. At least the public won't see this..."

After that, Yang checks the feed and says "This 'Zero' character was speaking with Jeremiah before this happened... Do we have any footage of him up close?"

One of the soldiers nods, before checking the footage, until saying "I didn't find any of that, but I did see that they went through the Western checkpoint."

Hearing this, Reinhard says "They said that there wasn't anything to report! Contact them immediately. I don't like this one bit..."

Kircheis goes to contact that soldier, but when he does not respond, Kircheis says "He isn't responding... Let me check his camera..." When Kircheis looks, he sees that the soldier was sitting normally, although he wasn't even reacting to the calls. Once he notices this, he says "Let's send someone to check on that soldier. This doesn't sit right with me either, Reinhard..."

Back to Lelouch and his group, they near the North checkpoint, while Reuenthal stands before them, ready in his Knightmare Frame. And as he remains in position, he says "I'm not sure how this all happened, but this is as far as you will go..."

Lelouch merely laughs, before stepping onto the roof again, before snapping his fingers. In an instant, the soldiers began attacking each other at random, causing the entire group to devolve into madness, while Reuenthal struggled to contain them. And once Ohgi drives past, Reuenthal turns around in his Knightmare in an attempt to pursue, the back of the truck opens, revealing a red painted Knightmare Frame seated inside.

And before Reuenthal could react, Kallen fires off a few shots, aiming specifically for the leg joint of his Knightmare, causing it to fall to the ground.

* * *

 _Now that Reuenthal could not pursue his enemy, he quickly shifts his attention to the chaos occurring with his unit, while the truck escapes into the night..._

When Reinhard sees all of this, his eyes widen, as he says "How did this happen...? What's gotten into Reuenthal's soldiers?!"

Almost on cue, the soldier sent to the Western checkpoint contacts the main HQ and says "The soldier here seems to be dazed, but is otherwise unharmed. He keeps on saying that he needs to allow 'Master Zero' to enter..."

Responding to that, Kircheis says "Thank you; you may return. Please bring that soldier with you so I can find out what he saw..." After that, Kircheis turns to Reinhard and Yang, and says "We should check with Jeremiah as well as Reuenthal's soldiers, to see if there is a connection."

Reinhard takes a deep breath, before saying "Good idea... I'd rather not have to consider that all of those people were secretly in league with this Zero character..."

Following that, Yang says "Suzaku, see if you can incapacitate Jeremiah without injuring him. If you need to damage his Knightmare, then that's fine. We can make repairs later..."

Back in his Knightmare, Suzaku nods and says "I'll try my best!" And as he clashes with Jeremiah, the advanced equipment and technology of the Lancelot give him an edge, but Jeremiah's experience causes things to remain equal. But as the fight continues, Jeremiah slowly loses steam, allowing Suzaku to finally subdue him.

And once that happened; soldiers approach and apprehend Jeremiah, who was still rambling about how he needed to follow 'Master Zero's' orders. Suzaku also notices at this time that Jeremiah's eyes seemed to have an odd red glow around their edges, which made him look like he was almost crazed, which could be an explanation for his actions.

* * *

 _Now that Jeremiah was captured, he is brought to the HQ along with Suzaku, so that Reinhard and Yang could figure out exactly what happened..._

They have Jeremiah sit down, as he says "My head's killing me... What happened...?"

Yang replies, saying "Jeremiah, can you tell us what you remember?"

Jeremiah nods and says "Of course... First, I prepared to enter my Knightmare to apprehend the real murderer. But as I did that, I think he said something to me, although it's all a blur after that..."

Hearing this, Reinhard rubs his temples in frustration, while saying "Something went wrong with this. Right when we were about to capture him, you suddenly went berserk, and attacked Suzaku."

Jeremiah's eyes widen, as he says "I did what?"

Yang nods and says "It really made a mess of things..." Then he turns to one of the soldiers, and says "Were you able to get footage of them talking?" The soldier nods, before playing back when Zero allowed his left eye to be visible, before ordering Jeremiah to cover his retreat.

With that, Reinhard says "He specifically revealed his left eye..." He then contacts Reuenthal and says "Once you stop the soldiers who are fighting madly, I want you to thoroughly investigate them! Make sure to ask if someone with a strange looking left eye approached them."

After that, Yang says "After all of that, it looks like things won't ease up anytime soon..."

 _Following that, Jeremiah is led away, since he still technically did prevent them from capturing the terrorist who actually murdered Prince Clovis..._

* * *

But back in the makeshift media building, Diethard was instead ecstatic about seeing what this Zero did, as he pranced around the room while saying "This guy will make history! I need to film him! Did we record anything ourselves?"

One of his staff members nods, so Diethard smiles, and says "We shouldn't keep this to ourselves... That would be a crime to the spirit of journalism..."

* * *

 **The next day...**

Lelouch and his group were meeting in an abandoned building in the Tokyo Settlement, as he says "We managed to escape while dealing a heavy political blow to that officer, but I was completely outsmarted. If I didn't have my Geass, we would have perished..."

Hearing this, Kallen says "We shouldn't lose heart! You may have been a bit too flashy, but you showed off your influence, so we might even see an expansion in membership..."

Lelouch silently laughs and says "I merely tried to put on a good show, and even if we weren't broadcasted, I'm sure portions of that night will slowly leak to the public..." After that, he smiles and says "For now though, we should lay low, at least until we can be sure of how things will be like from now on..."

* * *

 _Now that Reuenthal restored order to the soldiers who were fighting in a berserk state, he made sure to thoroughly interview each of them, hoping to provide Reinhard with whatever information he needed. During this process, he learned that many of those soldiers remember being visited by a suspicious individual, and in all of the reports, the individual had the same general physical description._

 _And because of what happened, Suzaku was officially cleared of any wrongdoing, while Jeremiah was unfortunately jailed for his actions. Reinhard and Yang remained silent for the time being, wishing to gather evidence that could clear his name._

 _They didn't have a lot of time to do this, because, in a week, one particular princess would arrive in Area 11, with the intentions of filling the void that came about once the Purist Faction was removed from power. Unknown to almost everyone else though, a few scheming nobles planned to send their own representative, one which could easily challenge that princess in the political sphere._

 _For now, though, things continued on regularly, as both Reinhard and Yang had to live with being partially thwarted by Lelouch, while Lelouch felt the same exact way..._

* * *

 **End Chapter 9**

 **Notes:**

Hey everyone! It's been a little bit since I last updated this one. I've been preoccupied with some of my other stories, but this arc should be all finished up by the next chapter. That one will be more of a wrap up though.

If you liked the chapter, feel free to let me know, either as a review, a favorite, or a follow! Or if you have something to add, feel free to let me know as well.

Also, since no new characters were introduced, there was no need for any bios.

Take care!

 **Review Responses**

0ldMonk: Thanks for the review! In this story, Reinhard and Yang aren't rivals; they're more of a duo, kind of like how Mittermeyer and Reuenthal were in the original LOGH. But hopefully I'll make their conflict with Lelouch interesting.

Duked: Thanks for the review! In general, I'm planning for most of them to have happier endings. At least the ones who side with Reinhard and Yang.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Princess Arrives**

 _One Week Later…_

* * *

 **Britannian Army Headquarters, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11**

Now that Suzaku was allowed to rejoin the military, he started to receive regular combat training sessions from Schenkopp, since he was highly experienced in hand-to-hand fighting. And after their most recent morning training session, he dismisses him, while saying "I know you're already a soldier Suzaku, but you're a pretty quick learner for this kind of stuff…"

Suzaku smiles in response and says "It's only because you're an excellent teacher, Schenkopp!"

But before he could respond, Dusty walks by before laughing and saying "Him…? A good teacher…?" He then roughly pats Suzaku's shoulder, while saying "You must have had some pretty bad teachers if your bar is this low…"

Schenkopp just smirks and says "You shouldn't pay him any heed, Suzaku."

Dusty shrugs in response, before saying "Anyway, how's it going for you Suzaku? Are you enjoying working with us?"

Suzaku nods while saying "Of course! Both Yang and Reinhard are brilliant, and everyone treats me with respect. Sometimes I can even forget that I'm an Eleven…"

At that very same moment, Kircheis was walking by, prompting him to approach while saying "Suzaku, you shouldn't be afraid to call yourself Japanese around us. None of us are in agreement with that Number philosophy…"

Suzaku's eyes widen for a moment, before he nods and says "Kircheis... I'll try to remember that!"

Kircheis smiles in response, before saying "Actually, I came to inform you that Reinhard had some news for you. You should head to his office…"

 _With that, Suzaku thanks Schenkopp again, before leaving to meet with Reinhard…_

* * *

Now that Suzaku was gone, Schenkopp turns to Kircheis and says "How is Reinhard doing? Is he still upset that the real assassin got away last time?"

Kircheis sighs while saying "Unfortunately, yes… While the Purist Faction was dealt a heavy blow from the aftermath, it also put us in a tough spot since we never caught the perpetrator. Plus, with what happened with Jeremiah, no one currently in Area 11 seems to be trusted to manage things properly."

Dusty scratches at his hair after hearing that, while saying "That sounds pretty bad. I'm sure him and Yang hoped to get more decision making power due to the operation…"

Kircheis nods and says "I've heard that the current plan is for a member of the royal family to be installed as the new reagent. I believe she should arrive sometime today…"

Schenkopp then smirks in response, before saying "Then we should be on our best behavior today…"

 _After they finished the conversation, they all went their separate ways to go about the rest of their day, right around when Suzaku reaches Reinhard's office..._

Once Suzaku enters Reinhard's office, he greets him while saluting and saying "Good morning sir!"

Reinhard smiles in response and says "Hello Suzaku. I hope you're doing well. I have some good news for you…"

When Suzaku hears that, he nods, as Reinhard says "I've made a few calls, and since you're still young, I got you admitted to Ashford Academy. I take it you haven't had a chance to go to school after you entered the military?"

Suzaku's eyes widened, as he says "I thought I'd be stuck in the military once I enlisted… Thank you so much, sir Reinhard!"

Before Reinhard could respond, Yang walked over and patted the young soldier on the head, while saying "There's no need to thank any of us. A kid your age should be going to school, at least to meet more folks your age. We can't have you be corrupted by hanging around Dusty and Schenkop all day…"

Reinhard proceeds to laugh while saying "Well said Yang! You'll be enrolled next week, and we'll sort out getting your supplies prepared. Do your best to adequately balance your work with us and at the academy."

Suzaku proudly salutes and says "Of course! I won't let either of you down!"

Right after that, Yang smiles and says "Don't be afraid to screw up every once in a while though. That's another part of being a kid…"

Suzaku smiles back and says "I'll try not to…"

 _Now that Suzaku was out of the office, Yang and Reinhard begin to talk about the new Viceroy from the mainland…_

Yang begins by pouring himself a glass of brandy, while sighing and saying "And here I thought we'd be done with meddling royals and nobles for a little while…"

Reinhard nods and says "It is true that we brought the Purist Faction down from power, but I wonder if things would be different if we managed to capture that Zero character…"

Surprisingly, Kircheis walks in at this moment and replies, saying "It would be unwise to worry about hypothetical scenarios, Reinhard. You should be proud that you and Yang managed to outwit the Purist Faction…"

Reinhard merely laughs and says "I can't help it, Kircheis. I'm quite the selfish person…"

Following that, Yang coughs and says "I take it you have some information about our soon to be superior officer, Kircheis?"

He nods and gives the two of them the dossier he prepared, before explaining "The new Viceroy is slated to be Princess Cornelia li Britannia. She was recently assigned to subjugate Area 18 and led a quick and efficient campaign there. From what I've heard, she has a distaste for non-Britannians, and she especially dislikes Japan. Hopefully she will be reasonable to work with at least."

Reinhard takes a moment to read over the dossier, before looking up and saying "I can at least respect the results she attained, even though I find her personal views to be slightly worrying. Thank you for your hard work, Kircheis."

Yang nods and says "Hopefully she can put aside her opinions about Japan aside while working here, because otherwise things will end up being just as bad as when Prince Clovis was in power."

 _After that discussion, Reinhard dismisses Kircheis, as everyone in the building continued to work until Princess Cornelia arrives in the mid afternoon. The building's atmosphere grew more and more hectic as time went on, as everyone wanted to be completely prepared for the new Viceroy's visit, not wanting to embarrass Reinhard or Yang. And before long, Yang waited with Reinhard in his office, ready to meet with the princess..._

* * *

Once Princess Cornelia entered, accompanied by her subordinate knights Guilford and Darlton, she approaches the two commanding officers and says "Reinhard von Lohengramm. Yang Wen-li. I am pleased to meet you two, as I have heard much of your accomplishments both here and abroad." After that, she salutes the both of them and adds, saying "I must express my gratitude for attempting to bring by half-brother's killer to justice…"

Reinhard bows in response, before smiling and saying "Thank you for your praise, Princess… I only wish that Zero never escaped in the end…"

Yang follows suite and also bows, while saying "I appreciate your kind words as well, Princess. I believe that the situation here would have improved significantly if we caught that terrorist successfully…"

Princess Cornelia just smiles and says "It is clear to me that you both are loyal officers of Britannia. I look forward to working closely with the two of you during my tenure here, as my new Sub-Viceroys…"

Both of their eyes widen, as Yang stumbles back and says "I'm afraid that with my nerves today I must have misheard you, Princess…"

Reinhard assists his friend as he says "Are you promoting us, Princess?"

Princess Cornelia nods and says "How can I not, after your masterful performance? It had to have taken a great amount of planning to organize your trap for that terrorist, and you even had that guts to outwit the purists at the same time. I can respect that, even if I find your more progressive views completely bewildering…"

Yang proceeds to laugh, as knight Guilford scolded the officer, saying "How dare you laugh in the presence of Princess Cornelia! Did you not learn basic etiquette in officer school?"

Yang merely shrugs and says "I probably flunked out of that class…"

Upon hearing that, Darlton heartily laughs in turn and says "You seem like an interesting guy! I look forward to working under you."

Guilford then sighs and says "Well you do have a point. I'm sorry for my outburst, Yang, especially since you will be my superior from now on. But please treat the Princess with the utmost respect."

Yang nods and says "That was my plan from the start…" But then he pauses and adds, saying "So then you plan on removing Jeremiah?"

Princess Cornelia folds her arms in response and says "Isn't that obvious? He betrayed you both, and if he had not interfered, that Zero might have been apprehended. Besides, was he not jailed for his actions?"

But when Reinhard hears that, he frowns and says "That is something that I planned to speak with you about. May I explain?"

Princess Cornelia nods, not knowing what he meant, as Reinhard shares what they hypothesized about Jeremiah's actions. He explains how they believed that he was somehow manipulated to defend Zero, noting that his mask opened right before Jeremiah covered Zero's escape. Reinhard also adds that many of the soldiers stationed where Zero made his escape from went berserk in the same way, behaving similarly to Jeremiah.

Once Princess Cornelia was informed of this, she sighs and says "If this is true, then that Zero is a crafty bastard. Finding a way to force a loyal soldier to betray their superior officers is a frightening weapon. I will not be able to do much with re-establishing Jeremiah's previous position, but I should be able to have him released from prison and assigned to your command without much trouble."

Yang smiles in response and says "That would be much appreciated, Your Highness. Jeremiah worked hard on helping us arrange the pieces for our operation to work."

Following that, Princess Cornelia says "Of course. Now, let us have a drink and celebrate a start to a new Area 11 together!"

The five of them pour themselves drinks, before raising them as Princess Cornelia announces "For glory! And the prosperity of Area 11!"

 _They then raise their glasses and toast to each other, all feeling glad that things were starting off on a positive note..._

But as they began to idly chat, a messenger approaches the group and says "I have an urgent report, Your Highness and sirs Reinhard and Yang!"

Princess Cornelia nods and says "You may proceed."

The messenger bows and then says "I received a letter from Pendragon… It says that the appointment for your Sub-Viceroy will arrive here within the hour."

When Princess Cornelia hears this, she glares and yells "Did you say Sub-Viceroy? How dare they appoint someone without consulting me! As the current Viceroy, the government positions in Area 11 should be up to my discretion."

The poor messenger just looks down and says "I'm sorry ma'am…"

She just sighs and says "No, I apologize for lashing out at you. Thank you for reporting this to me. You are dismissed."

 _He nods, before leaving the room, as the occupants remained shocked by the news. It seems like things would remain challenging for Reinhard and Yang…_

* * *

 **Character Bios**

 ** _Gilbert G.P. Guilford_** : He is one of Princess Cornelia's most trusted knights and his fiercely protective of her, even if she is an incredible Knightmare Frame pilot in her own right. He has a serious and almost noble demeanor, even though he is purely a commoner.

 ** _Andreas Darlton_** : He is another of Princess Cornelia's knights and is also part of her inner circle. He is a proud and gruff warrior, never shying away from a difficult challenge, and heavily enjoys clashing with challenging opponents. He is also a loud man with a strong sense of humor.

 **AN:**

I little while ago, a person on Reddit offered to make sketches of story ideas, and he made a sketch of this story. He sketched the scene where Yang and Reinhard interview Suzaku while he was still jailed. In this version, Yang does most of the interviewing, but the concept is still similar enough. I never posted this because it's been a long while since I updated this story. Hope you find the sketch cool. I know I think it's pretty cool! ( **Replace the comma with a period, since it looks like FanFiction,net doesn't like it when links are posted.** )

 **imgur,com/a/xQBJDJe**

Also, thanks for the recent reviews! I'll try to message you guys when I get a chance.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Hostage Situation**

With the news that someone else would be appointed as the new Sub-Viceroy, Princess Cornelia slinks back into a nearby chair and says "I must offer my apologies to the both of you. I truly planned on appointing you two myself…"

Yang merely smiles and says "Don't worry about it Your Highness. It makes me feel better that even the royal family can be impeded by bureaucratic meddling…"

Guilford begins to grumble to himself while saying "You really are taking this well Yang. Who would interfere with Her Highness…?"

Reinhard scratches his chin in response, as he says "There are plenty of people, but the most likely in my eyes would be an influential noble. They do always seem to be in competition with the royal family…"

Yang nods and adds, saying "Also, this would be a way to bolster their wealth. This place will become highly profitable as soon as things stabilize, and having someone loyal to them would be valuable."

When Princess Cornelia hears that, she narrows her eyes and says "I welcome them to try their schemes on me…" But then she smiles and says "I will speak with Schneizel and have you both transferred under my direct command, though I wish for you to act independently of me if necessary. As long as this new Sub-Viceroy cannot interfere with you…"

 _Soon after that, the new Sub-Viceroy arrives in Area 11, so Princess Cornelia brings Reinhard and Yang into her own office to meet him…_

As they waited, a blonde haired man who looked to be in his early 40s entered the room, before smiling and saying "I didn't expect to have an audience… My name is Job Trunicht, and I was the former Defense Chair in Pendragon, but now I was assigned here as the new Sub-Viceroy. I look forward to working with you, Your Highness…"

Princess Cornelia simply nods and says "Good. I expect you to work hard here, Mr. Trunicht."

Trunicht quietly laughs in response and says "Of course, of course…" He then surveys the room, before saying "I must apologize, but I'm fairly busy today, so I will need to leave. It was a pleasure meeting you all…"

 _Following that, Trunicht leaves as quickly as he entered, while the rest of them continued to talk…_

Now that Trunicht was gone, Princess Cornelia sighs and says "I have my doubts that he will be of much help… But allow me to contact Prince Schneizel in the meantime. You both are dismissed…"

 _They both nod, before leaving and returning to their own offices…_

* * *

 **Around the same time, Zero's 'Headquarters'**

Currently, Lelouch, Kallen, Ohgi, and Tamaki were hiding out in an abandoned building, which was acting as their hideout for the moment. And since their first plan was only partially successful, they needed to make a decisive move soon.

Lelouch begins, saying "We need allies. My Geass can only take us so far, and it's difficult to plan things out with only the four of us."

Ohgi nods and says "I agree. The Japanese Liberation Front would be a good choice, but we'd need to prove our value to them first."

Tamaki scratches his head in response while saying "How the hell are we supposed to do that? We don't have a lot of equipment to use…"

When Kallen hears that, she folds her arms and says "As long as I have a Knightmare Frame, I'll fight my hardest! You have a plan, don't you Lelouch?"

He nods and says "Roughly… From what I've read, the JLF are somewhat divided in how they wish to proceed. It also seems like the extremists have fewer numbers. I don't doubt that in their zeal they will drag innocents into their schemes, even Japanese people. If that happens, we should publicly oppose them."

Tamaki tilts his head in confusion and says "But aren't we extremists too?"

Lelouch smiles and says "True, but I believe we could make more progress if we present ourselves as noble freedom fighters, for anyone harmed by Britannia's tyranny."

Ohgi starts to tap his chin while saying "You make a good point, Lelouch. There's gotta be _some_ Britannians who were also wronged by the government…"

Lelouch nods again, before saying "Exactly. I say we wait for now, but I doubt we will need to wait long. I'm sure those guys will be all too eager to demonstrate their strength…"

Now that their plans were set, Kallen grabs Lelouch by the shoulder and says "With that out of the way, let's train! Our leader can't appear weak in front of the JLF or the Britannians…"

Lelouch frantically shakes his head while saying "My strengths are mental, not physical! This is not necessary!"

Tamaki laughs and says "Aww come on Lelouch… Don't be such a wimp…"

Ohgi then smiles and says "Would you like to join them?"

Tamaki suddenly takes a step back, while saying "Umm… I… I should check on our supplies. Can't be too careful!"

 _Ohgi just sighs to himself, glad that everyone seemed to be getting along, while hoping that their next operation would be a complete success…_

* * *

 **The Next Morning, Ashford Academy**

A few members of the student council, specifically Milly, Shirley, and Nina, were planning to taking a trip out to Lake Kawaguchi. After an hour long train ride, they arrive at a nearby hotel, wanting to get an early lunch in.

As they sat down and prepared to order, a group of soldiers from the JLF stormed the building, as their apparent leader ordered for all of the patrons to be apprehended. Among the prisoners was a young pink haired girl wearing inconspicuous glasses and a hat, who looked particularly concerned about the situation.

Once they were gathered up, the leader stands in front of them and says "My name is Josui Kusakabe. We do not plan to harm you, but you will all be our hostages. As long as we get the resources we need from the government, you will be released. Resist, and you will be shown no mercy…"

After that, they announce their intentions to the public, hoping that word will spread and that their operation will be a success. When Princess Cornelia learns of this, she gathers her officers and the Sub-Viceroy in order to formulate the best plan to free the hostages and arrest the terrorists. Lelouch and his group also learn of the situation through underground channels, so they plan out how they should proceed and make a name for themselves.

 _Soon, all of Area 11 would wait with baited breath for how this hostage situation would proceed, as it could have dire ramifications for the whole country..._

 **Notes**

A bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I just wanted to get this one out. I'll try to make the next one a bit longer. Thanks for the recent reviews/follows/favorites!


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